12-31-2023

Good Morning All,

         Psalm 88:3; “For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.”

     There has been a lot in the news about depression and suicide this time of year, especially if it is someone who is famous. Yet, most of us probably have a pretty good grasp of the pain of suicide.  We may have lost a child or parent, a cousin or spouse, a friend or someone else very close to us.  It is painful and is really one of the devil’s vilest schemes.

     Depression and other illnesses are opportunities that the devil thrives on.  The devil will whisper to the one who suffers in a relentless attack to drive them further from God.  The devil will whisper and whisper until, in a moment of great pain, the sufferer can bear no more and, in a moment, makes a decision that cannot be undone by human hands.  The family and friends are left in anguish wondering what they missed or should have seen.  They should have been there; they could have helped so grief is compounded with guilt and the devil laughs with glee while you and I are left to pick up the pieces. 

    Yet, despite what looks like a win for the devil, it truly isn’t.  We have all sinned in one form or another and we all get to heaven the same way.  We fully, completely, and totally rely on God’s grace and favor.  We rest in his loving arms, at all times.  We can only cling to his wonderful promise of hope and salvation.  The Apostle Paul tells us that “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God’s love.  This is a promise from God who created all and knows all.  God knows what is out there and he still promises that nothing will separate us from his love.

    So, if you have had a loved one who took their own life, know without a doubt that they have a loving God who looks upon them with grace upon grace.  God looks past all the extra stuff and knows the faith that lives within us.  He looks upon each of us with his grace and mercy.  He looks to us with his loving kindness and desires that we be saved. Know too that it was not your fault; you are not to blame.  The blame has belonged to and will always belong to the devil and his murderous lies.  The devil has been referred to as the “father of all lies” and the “father of all murderers.”  It is pretty safe to see where the real fault lies.

    So, while suicide is painful and destructive, it does not mean that we are cut off from God.  It means what it means; that in this world sin still abounds and the devil still tries to trick and confuse God’s children.  Sometimes he succeeds at confusing us but not at separating us from God’s love.  Never forget that; we are never separated from God’s love and grace.  He holds us close even at times like these.  Actually, it is definitely at times like these; for at times like this God’s love is our only hope.

Father of mercy, many hear the whispers of the devil.  Some answer in their pain.  Father before you we are all beggars.  Comfort your people with your mercy.  Be with those who are being tempted by the devil and his lies.  Give them the strength to withstand.  Help us to recognize more quickly the needs of those around us and give us the words and wisdom to come to their aid.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

12-30-2023

Good Morning All,

       Matthew 14:27; “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

     Have you ever been afraid?  I have never been seriously afraid.  I have had some minor disturbances that really are more embarrassing than anything else.  I remember once as a junior in high school I was home alone.  I was reading the book “Helter Skelter” which was about the Manson murders.  I was reading the section about how the “family” used to phone homes to see if someone was home; if they were not home, they would break into the house to practice for the coming murders.  Just as I read that part, the phone rang.  I threw the book up and it hit the ceiling; it took quite a while for my heart to slow down.  I put the book away for the night.  For a few seconds, I was very afraid.

    This type of fear is common and nothing to get too excited about.  It is self-induced and easily avoided.  Yet sometimes we are truly afraid, and it seems to occur to us much like it occurred to the disciples in our verse.  This verse is from Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on the water and Peter trying to.  As the disciples were struggling to row across the sea “the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.”  That phrase can be used to describe many times in our lives.  Life can seem to be far from land, far from options.  Life can seem to always be a struggle like the wind being against us and then just for good measure something totally unexpected beats us from the side.

   Maybe you are dealing with health issues of a spouse or a parent and suddenly you are making decisions that you weren’t planning on making.  Maybe you’re the farmer who saw $7.00 corn go to $2.75 and not a lot of rain to help.  Maybe you watch the news and wonder when they will decide to send troops back to Iraq.  Maybe it is your own health that you wonder about or whether your job will last until you retire.  There is much in this life that can make it seem like we are a long way from land, beaten by the waves with the wind against us.

    It is at these most difficult of times it is most crucial to remember Jesus’ words to the disciples; the same words he speaks to you and me “take heart, it is I, don’t be afraid!”  We may not always see a clear path, or we may not necessarily like the path, but we need to remember that no matter how big the waves or stiff the wind; Jesus is always with us.  He never has and never will abandon us or leave us to face the wind and the waves on our own.  We need to have faith; we need to trust his grace to sustain us.  Jesus is always with us so don’t be afraid and if fear invades seek him, turn to him in prayer.  Use those around you that he has placed in your life to give you his comforting mercy.

Father of all hope and comfort, in you we have no need to fear.  No matter how great the waves, you are there for us to cling to.  You never let us down.  Lord, there are many who feel the wind and the waves and are in great fear.  Guide us to them that we may be the agents of your comfort and the deliverer of your mercy.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

12-29-2023

Good Morning All,

              Romans 7:15; “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

    Why did you do that?  Have you ever asked that question of your son or daughter?  It can be a most exasperating question because the answer, oftentimes, is “I don’t know.”  What on earth would lead you to do something like that, what possible good could come from that?  “I don’t know, I guess I didn’t think.”  Sometimes, I am convinced that the blood supply doesn’t always go all the way to the top of most teenagers at one time or another.  I think that and then I wonder sometimes why I do the things I do.

    Have you ever done something that you later regretted doing?  I think if you live long enough, most of us have.  Maybe we walked in on the last part of a conversation and suddenly were offended and made sure everyone knew.  Later we find out that we totally misunderstood what the conversation was.  Maybe you told someone they could count on you, but you failed to deliver.  Or maybe it was a little more painful.  Perhaps you joined in the gossip with more intensity than you should have.  Maybe you didn’t defend the person or maybe you added a tidbit of “news.”  Maybe you started it.  Why do we do these things?  Usually, we feel horrible afterwards, especially if we think about it and reflect on it.  It can really cut you if you see that person and see the pain in their eyes.  We know it was wrong, we know it going in.  We know the right thing to do but, for whatever reason, we fail to do the right thing.

    The reason is sin.  We are sinful by nature, so sinning is the natural thing to do.  But we are redeemed children of God who has given us new life and new hope.  Yet that hope does not mean it will always be easy; in fact, it can be very hard.  We know what is right; God wants us to love one another just as he loved us.  We know this yet our sinful nature continually tries to pull us back into sin.  That is usually why we are so confused when we do some of these things.  It is not a conscious action; it is a regression into sin.  It sneaks up on us and soon we are bitten.

    This is why we need to be vigilant; to be “sober” as Peter tells us.  This is especially true when you find yourself in dangerous situations, places where you are predisposed to sin whether it is at the coffee gathering, a bar or nightclub somewhere, or sitting in front of your computer.  We know our weaknesses but so does the devil and our sinful nature.  So, we have to be very careful to about our actions.  We need to always be thinking about what we are doing.  It is when we don’t think that we fall into sin.  Why do we do what we don’t want to do?  Because we are sinful by nature, but thanks be to God that we are the forgiven children whom he loves and redeems daily!

Father, I know what is right but too often I fail and fall short of your will.  Strengthen me and give me the ability to live a life pleasing to you.  Help me to love my neighbor as I should.  Guide me by your Spirit to do the good that I would.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

12-28-2023

Good Morning All,

     1Timothy 6:12; “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

     Many years ago, the Schlitz Brewing Co. had an ad slogan that went something like this. “You only go around once in life, so you've got to grab for all the gusto you can.”  In this slogan they tried to appeal to the idea that you only have so much time to live your life, so you need to live it to the fullest.  Today’s generation uses the acronym “YOLO” as in “You only live once;” pretty much the same thought.  Some use this thought as a motivator to be willing to try new things; some use it as an excuse to foolish, dangerous, or careless activities but I suppose it depends on your perspective.

    The thing about the Schlitz Co. ad campaign that is interesting is that as soon as they went away from this advertising plan, sales began to flatten out and then drop off.  It may have been a coincidence, or it may have been that beer drinkers want to live life to the fullest and when the beer they were drinking didn’t promote that idea; they moved on. 

     We, as Christians, should be the first group to live life to the fullest.  All of our future worries are solved and settled.  God has promised us eternal life and has promised to be with us and to provide for us all that we truly need in this life.  We should be the first to enjoy life.  We can take hold of eternal life and enjoy what God provides here in this world. We do not need to fear the battles of this world for God will provide for us.  There will be times when it will require faith to see our way through.  There will be times when it will be a great battle, but God will always provide us the way to face the test.

    It may seem to be more test than faith at times but that is what Paul means when he says to fight the good fight of faith.  We need to battle to keep hold of our faith.  There will be times when the devil will throw all he has against you, but we have to fight to hold on.  Because when we hold onto that faith; when we cling to Christ and to the grace that he pours out upon us, we can withstand the devil’s onslaught, but we need to hold on in faith.  But when we do, when we trust in God’s Word and promise, we can live our life to the fullest.

    So, because of God’s grace, we are free to live our life to the fullest.  We should be the most joyful people in the world but often we are dour.  Celebrate!!  Celebrate God’s incredible gift to you; celebrate your eternal life with him in perfect life.  We have more than the world can ever expect; we have more than the world can give.  Celebrate God’s goodness in our lives.  Trust his promise and live to the fullest.  It is his gift to you.

Father, in you we have life, in you we have hope.  Help us to live the life that you give us and to live it to the greatness that we can. It is your gift to us; lead us to the wonder that you give us.  Help those who live in sadness and worry.  Father give them life, give them comfort and give them hope.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

12-27-2023

Good Morning All,

             John 3:17; “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

     One time, when my youngest son was just a barely toddler, his mother took him shopping with his grandmother to Kmart.  As they came out of the store, with him and all the purchases in the shopping cart, the cart began to tip as one of the wheels fell off of the sidewalk.  He screamed, his mom screamed, his grandmother screamed.  As the cart tipped, everyone tried to catch him.  His mom tried.  His grandmother tried but it was to no avail.  The cart tipped and he crashed into the pavement and scraped his nose up.  He cried, his mom cried, his grandmother cried.  It must have been quite the event.

    I don’t know if anyone else tried to catch him; I wasn’t there but I would assume that if someone was there, they would have tried.  Most people will try and catch someone if they are falling.  This tends to be a standard reaction, especially for parents and grandparents.  If you ever have attended a high school sporting event where one of the participants gets injured, it never takes long to figure out who the parents and grandparents are.  It is a common response; very few people, if any, take any delight in the pain of their loved ones.  Most, if not all, will try anything to help ease the pain.

    When I visit someone who is in the hospital, it seems that the spouse or the parent is more upset than the patient is.  We hate to see our loved ones suffer.  Most of us would do anything, including trading places with them, in order to alleviate the pain.  We would take it all away if we could. 

    This is a similar response that God has towards us.  God’s response to us is out of love, out of the purest fatherly love.  God saw the pain and the suffering and had compassion on us as a loving parent would.  To quote Luther, “but God beheld our wretched state.”  God saw our hopelessness and did what any loving parent would: he took our place.  He took from us the cost of that pain, of that sin.  He lifted up Jesus on the cross so that we would be lifted up out of our desperate state.

    This is why God sent Jesus to die in our place.  His love for us is beyond that of what a parent feels for their child.  His is the perfect love that moved him to send his only son to die in your place.  He replaced you with Jesus so that you may have life and have it abundantly.  He sent Jesus, not to judge or condemn but to take your place so that all the pain and sadness could be replaced, replaced with hope.  This is why Jesus came to walk on the earth; he came to bring healing.  Whatever your condition; Jesus came to restore us to life.

Father of all good, you give us life.  Because of your great love we have life; because of your mercy we have hope.  Defend us through the trials of this life so that we may always see your love.  Be with those who are lost and unsure of your mercy.  Give them hope.  Bring them safely home.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

12-26-2023

Good Morning All,

        1 Thessalonians 4:16; “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

    Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.”  That is a pretty good guess to me.  I heard someone once thought it would be Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.  One thought it would be Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.  One thought about John Williams’ “Theme for Star Wars.”  I think I like the “Fanfare for the Common Man.”  We were discussing what the trumpet of God would play that would announce Christ’s return.  The Lord will descend, a cry of command, the voice of an archangel, the trumpet and then, then we have the resurrection.  We have the final, wonderful, victorious resurrection.

   We, as Christians, should never fear Christ’s return.  It signals the ultimate victory for us as believers in Christ and his promise.  It will mark a time of great joy.  It will mark a time of joy that has never been seen here on this earth.  We will be victorious, and we will be transformed.  Those who are still alive when Christ returns, and there will be a last generation.  You and I may be part of that last generation, or we may not; but we will be part of the resurrection and what a wonderful, joyous time it will be.  I cannot wait to see and to hug and to laugh with all my family and friends who have already gone on to rest in the Lord.  All those people, many of whom the ravages of death weighed heavily upon, will be there, whole, and healthy.  All will be perfect.  All will be grand.

    It is when I think about the resurrection that I think of the parents who had to bury a child in their life.  I think of the pain they felt.  Then I remember Paul’s words, “I do not consider the present suffering to compare to the future glory.”  The pain they feel will not begin to compare to the joy and the incredible reunion that will occur.  It will be fantastic.  It is what we should look forward to, what we should long for and pray for.  It will be the end of the devil’s nightmarish reign on earth.  It will be the end of the destruction of creation.  It will be the restoration of everything to the state of perfection and completeness.  It will be amazing.

   So, we wait.  We wait for Christ to return but as we wait, we long for, we dream of, we hope for the day when Christ shall return, with the cry, the voice of the archangel and the trumpet, the wonderful, glorious trumpet.  It will sound and we will win.  Christ will return.  Pray for it, long for it, hope for it but above all know that when it comes, there will be joy beyond all measure for us as God’s dear children.  Celebrate that Christ will return and restore creation and us as well to all perfection and joy.

Father of all wonder, we hope in you.  We long for Christ’s return.  Help us to hold onto the certainty of your love, your mercy, and your promise that victory is ours.  Guide those who are lost or confused to come to see that all hope rests in you and that all victory will come from your glorious hand.  We wait; we wait for the sound of the trumpet.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen and returning Lord and Savior, we pray.  amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

12-25-2023

Good Morning All,

        Matthew 1:21; “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

    Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” So, what is in a name? What is in your name? Does your name have a special significance? Were you named after a relative, or perhaps a famous person at the time of your birth? Does your name have a biblical reference or some unique quality about it? Many people do have these qualities. Some names have special meaning or significance, For example, Zoe means life in Greek. Or perhaps, your parents just like the sound of the name they gave you. So, what is in a name? Would it smell just as sweet?

    Our verse is part of Joseph’s dream when he was considering divorcing Mary when he found out she was going to have a baby. He knew he was not the father, so he was going to quietly divorce her and move on. But as an angel spoke to him in a dream, he was told a wonderful and mighty story. He was told of this child being the Son of God and that this child had special meaning and special purpose. “You will call his name Jesus.” This is actually the English version. In Hebrew, Jesus’ name is “Yeshua” (our Joshua) which literally means “God saves.” The name is the purpose. Jesus came to save us, to save His people from their sins. His name, his special name, is given to Him to identify him and his purpose. The whole point of the Christmas story is to point us to our Savior, to Jesus. He is the one who would go to the cross to take our place, to receive our punishment so that we might live eternally in his holy kingdom.

    The meaning of Christmas isn’t found in boxes or bows but is found in the unending love of our heavenly Father. The meaning of Christmas is new life for you and for me. It is to give us hope for a better tomorrow. It is to give you and to me a new and joyful purpose. Christmas is about God taking on the flesh and form of man in order to bring us back into His holy family. Jesus came, as God, to fulfil what we could not in order to save us from ourselves. Our sinfulness was overwhelming us, so God took on the form of a man to conquer and defeat what we could not. Salvation comes from Jesus and is given to you so that you may have life. Merry Christmas to all!! May the light of the love of the Savior guard you this day and every day!

Gracious Father, we give you thanks for the salvation that is ours through Jesus. As He comes to save us, renew our hearts so that we may walk in the newness of life. Give to us your Holy Spirit that we may look to you in all confidence and hope.  Be with those who suffer this time of year. Give them your hope and peace so that they also may know the love that you have poured out upon them. Keep all safe according to your will. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

12-24-2023

Good Morning All,

          Revelation 3:20; “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

       There is an old preacher’s joke that goes something like this.  A preacher was trying to visit one of his members.  He stood at the door and knocked and knocked but nobody answered.  So, he took out his pen and paper and wrote on the paper “Rev. 3:20” and left it on the door, thinking it was a clever way to get a member to read the Bible.  On Sunday, a note addressed to the preacher was found in the collection plate.  Below his writing of “Rev. 3:20” was a lady’s handwriting with the verse “Gen. 3:10.”  With his curiosity raised he quickly opened his Bible and read, “I heard your voice, but I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”  Sometimes it happens.

    Have you ever avoided answering the door to your home because you didn’t want the person to know that you were home?  Perhaps it was a salesman or a neighbor that you just didn’t want to deal with today.  Sometimes, pressures lead us to avoid answering the door because we fear a bill collector.  Sometimes in anger we avoid answering the door because we aren’t ready to speak to them just yet.  How long have you left the door unanswered?  For some it is years upon years.

    That is what happens when you refuse to forgive your brother or sister.  Oh, you may allow them a physical presence; you may even be “civil” towards them; but if you refuse to forgive then you have effectively shut the door on any true relationship.  You have decided not to answer them.  If it is a plea of repentance or a plea for mercy as long as you shut the door, you have locked that person out of your life.

    You are also locking Jesus out of your life.  When we refuse to forgive, we are blocking God’s forgiveness to us.  We are closing the door on our relationship with Jesus as well.  Jesus came to fix broken people.  He came to fix broken hearts, broken spirits, and broken relationships.  All the healing requires forgiveness.  All the healing requires open doors and when the doors are open, reconciliation can occur.

    The greatness of Christ’s reconciliation for us is that he continually knocks at the door of our heart wanting to be allowed in.  He wants to enter your heart and dwell in you with the peace of his fellowship.  He wants us to live content with the certainty of our salvation.  He wants us to take this God given reconciliation and then go out and heal our brokenness in the relationships that we have with our family, friends, neighbors and other brothers and sisters in Christ.  Jesus is standing at the door and knocking.  We should also stand at the door of those who we have hurt or hurt us so that we may be reconciled to them because of Christ’s great love for us.

Father, too often we let pride and ego destroy our relationships with those whom you have placed in our lives.  Forgive us and lead us to open the door to the healing that is needed in this world.  Guide us by your Spirit to be healers in this world.  In the precious name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

12-23-2023

Good Morning All,

           Jeremiah 29:11; “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

   In 1915, a man by the name of Ernst Shackleton was going to attempt to be the first man to lead a party across the Antarctic continent via the pole.  It was about 1800 miles.  No one had attempted this because of the distance.  In order to accomplish this, the plan was to have a second group start from the opposite side and leave supplies for the expedition to use as it came across.  Shackleton figured they could carry enough supplies to go about 1200 miles.  The second group would head toward the pole and leave supplies until it went about 600 miles.  The theory was to meet the supplies as they needed them.  This was a bold adventure without a GPS and only a magnetic compass that they would have to trust.  Unfortunately, bad weather for both parties kept the journey from being attempted.

    It was a good plan, to have the supplies ready for the expedition when it arrived.  They could pick up the needed supplies and continue on their planned journey to the opposite side.  If it hadn’t been for some really bad storms, it would have worked.  Everything was laid out just in time and just in the right place that they would need it.

    God does the same thing for us.  He lays out ahead of us the supplies that we need.  That can really be a comfort for us as we think about our life.  As the struggles go ahead of us, God has laid out what we will need to go forth.  We can see how God does this as we look at creation.  God created everything we needed to support this body and life and he did this first.  The food, the shelter, the alignment of day and night was all in place before God created man.  All our needs were planned for.  Even the sending of Jesus as our Savior was planned out before the foundation of the world.

    We can truly find comfort in this.  As we face the struggles of life, as we face challenges that make us shake with fear, God has already placed the supplies that we need in place.  These supplies can include people, words of comfort and hope, his Spirit, and the fellowship of Communion, all of which are in place to give you the comfort and the consolation that you will need as we go through the battles of life. 

   So if you are facing some real challenges in your life; they could be health issues for you or a loved one, they could be end of life struggles, they could be financial upheaval, they could be relationship meltdowns, they could be any or all of these; we can face them with the certainty that God has laid the supplies in place for you.  So, while we may not always see how the path will go; we can rest assured that God knows the way and provides for us as we go.

Father of grace, you provide all that we need to support this body and life.  This is a great comfort for us. Help us to hold fast to this promise.  Help us to see your mercy active in our lives.  Be with those who are truly struggling at this time of their life.  Give them the assurance that you are there with them and that you have their needs provided for.  Help them to have peace in this journey.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

12-22-2023

Good Morning All,

       2 Corinthians 3:5; “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

    Are you one of those people who question their ability once and a while?  Many do, in some areas of life.  Very, very few people are completely comfortable in all aspects of life and those that claim they are comfortable are usually kidding themselves.  We all have areas of our life that we are very self-conscious of.  I am not a dancer.  I would rather stand up in front of a huge crowd and give a 5-to-10-minute spur of the moment speech on any topic that someone chose rather than dance in public.  I feel awkward, clumsy, and totally unskilled.  It seems that the whole crowd of people is watching me and critiquing my very limited ability.  I know that this is an illogical thought, but it is what I have.  Chances are you have something in your life that you feel that way about.

    One of the standing jokes among ministers is that you need to be ready to get invited to a lot of dinners.  Most people would rather feed you and have you pray for the meal rather than pray before a meal themselves.  This actually seems to be truer than it isn’t.  This is one area where some feel uncomfortable; they feel incompetent.  Most feel very uncomfortable speaking in public; add on a profession of faith and it can get tough in a hurry.

    One of the most freeing messages that I was taught was that “God does not call the qualified; he qualifies the called.”  God doesn’t call you to be a child of God because of your skills or abilities; he gives you the power, through his Spirit, to use those skills to give glory to God and to aid your neighbor.      

    The thing to remember is that we are God’s hands or arms or feet in this world.  Martin Luther calls this “the masks of God.”  It looks like you, but it is God’s Spirit at work.  Basically, we just need to let it work.  We need to not stand in the way.  If we feel the urge or desire to help someone, we should allow it to occur.  Don’t suppress it for it is probably God’s Spirit at work.

    When the time comes to speak or act, trust God’s Spirit to be there with you and for you.  Trust him to lead you through it.  He has promised to always be with you; he has promised to never forsake you.  So, we can take comfort in the fact that God does not deliver us from the devil only to throw us to the world.  He stands with us and comforts us.  So, as we look at our faith, we know that it is entirely because of God and his mercy.  God has given it to us and has promised to sustain us by his grace.  Trust in him to give you the courage to go forward.

Father of all peace and goodness, you give us the things that are needed and necessary in our life.  Give us the courage to trust them to carry us through life’s journey.  Give us the wisdom to share your love with those around us.  Give us a willing heart to aid our brothers and sisters who are in need of comfort or peace.  Give us a willing heart to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked.  Lead us in your love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

12-21-2023

Good Morning All,

      Psalm 116: 1-2; “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.  Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.”

       “Hello? is anybody out there?” This was a tag line from a “Twilight Zone.”  Like many of the episodes, it was predicated on a nuclear attack between the United States and the Soviet Union.  In this episode, Burgess Meredith was a man who hated people.  He never wanted to interact with people; his only passion was his books.  He loved books.  He was in his basement when he heard the civil defense sirens.  After the explosion, he waited a few weeks and then went out to look at the city.  As he wandered, he found that he was all alone; there was no sign of life anywhere.  He wandered until he found what he wanted to find; he found the library and he found most of the building and the books were intact.  He was ecstatic; he had all those books and no one to bother him.  As he sat down, he stumbled.  His glasses fell off and broke.  He could no longer read.  So, he set off, with a book in his hand, looking for someone to help him read his book. 

     Most of us never seek this kind of solitude.  There may be times when we seek a little alone time, but we rarely want to be completely alone.  This is especially true when we are hurting or lost.  At times like that we usually look for someone to hear us and more importantly to listen to us.

    It is one of the devil’s greatest ploys.  He puffs us up when something seems to be going well.  He tells us that it is all because of our talent, our skill, and just the fact that we just deserve some good luck.  He tells us that we accomplished this on our own without any help from anyone.  He tells us we are self-made.  He tells us that we are invincible.  Then he leaves and we are left to strut on our own.  All is fine until trouble strikes.  Maybe it is an illness, maybe it is a job-related setback; something happens and then we find that we are alone.

    We try to fix the problem on our own, but it only gets worse.  We call out for help but the devil, who puffed us up, is long gone and laughing at our pain.  People, some we may have pushed away, are too far away to hear us.  We are left alone, lost, and crying for help.  The pain and the sorrow become too great for us to bear.  The suffering weighs us down like a stone.  Soon we are completely defeated; all alone and suffering immensely.

    Yet God hears our cries, and he rescues us from the suffering.  He listens to us and knows our pain.  He knows our fears and our deepest concerns.  He comes to us with his Spirit of comfort, and he comes to us with his words of comfort and hope.  He brings into our lives the people whom he has to speak to us and to comfort us and to ease our pain.  God is always listening, inclining his ear to hear each whispered word; to hear each hushed sigh of pain.  God is always listening and offering us hope through his love and through his promise of salvation.  It is ours to hold.

Father, you hear us as we cry.  Give us the certainty that you listen and give us the peace that we so desperately need.  Cradle us in your loving arms.  In Jesus name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret               

12-20-2023

Good Morning All,

               2 Corinthians 5:19; “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

          One of the most popular genres in movies is the one where two people who have been long apart from each other are reunited together again.  It is most common in the Christmas movies.  Someone, a long-lost daughter, or a long-lost son, returns home.  It might be because a parent is sick, or the family business is in trouble.  Sometimes it is that the long-lost soul has run out of options and has no choice but to come home.  Sometimes it gets the double and the long-lost soul also reconnects with the long-lost love interest.  So, we can have the reconciliation of child and parent, the renewed love interest and the first snow for Christmas.  It is an instant classic!

    Ok, that maybe was a little sarcastic but most of us like a story where people get back together.  One of the more popular MASH shows was when Hawkeye and Radar reconnect two Korean brothers, one North Korean and one South Korean, so they can talk to each other.  People loved the way that love of family trumped politics.  Most of us enjoy it when people get back together.

    So, if you enjoy those types of stories, the Bible is the book for you.  The entire Bible is one long continuing story of God reconciling man to himself and to other men.  It starts with everything perfect; man in perfect harmony with God and each other.  Yet soon sin entered the world and man was soon split apart from God and from each other.  Then we read of all the pain and the problems that exist in this world because we do not care for our fellow man.  We read how greed, envy, jealousy, lust, and other selfish passions soon rule man and lead him even farther from God and his mercy.

    Yet God chooses to reconcile man, to bring man back into fellowship with him.  He does this by having Jesus come into this world and begin the healing process.  This process includes Jesus’ death and resurrection, as a payment and a guarantee that the reconciliation is under way.  Each day it gets closer to completion.  So, as we go along the journey, we have opportunities to reconcile with our fellow man and to tell them how they can be reconciled to Jesus.  This is part of our goal in this life to bring people back together; first with God and then with each other.

    This reconciliation is a major part of the Bible.  It is a major theme throughout Scriptures.  Think of the parables, the lost sheep, the lost coin, the Prodigal Son are all about reconciliation.   The man who fields the pearl is about God reconciling with you.  God wants us back together as a happy family.  So be part of God’s plan, rejoice in the reconciliation to God and seek to reconcile with your brothers and sisters.  It will bring contentment to your life.

Father, guide us as we reconnect with those in our lives with whom we are at odds.  Help us to restore one another to the peaceful and loving family which you first created.  Guide with your Spirit of peace and hope.  Be with those who are especially hurt by the estrangement of this world.  Give them your peace.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret        

12-19-2023

Good Morning All,

Matthew 6:6; “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

      When you were a child, did you ever play the game “Truth or Dare”?  The premise of the game was that a group of friends would sit together and then each person would get a choice of being asked a “truth” or given a dare.  The questions are somewhat embarrassing; of course, the dares are as well.  It used to be popular at the first “boy/girl” party.  It has been known to send many a young lad or lass home crying with embarrassment.  Yet what do we expect; most people, young or old, have some things that they just want to keep quiet about.  

    This is what our verse for today is really about.  Too many read this and think that prayer is something that we need to hide or to keep away from others.  Some read it as something to be embarrassed about.  It actually is quite the opposite.  In this verse, we are told to be honest and truthful.  It is not a dare or a challenge; it is a chance to free yourself from pain and sadness.

    God knows all that is in your life; ha will never need to have you tell him what you fear, desire, or know.  God already knows.  The reason that we are to go into our room and close the door is to remove our inhibitions.  There are just some things in our life that we do not want many, if any, to know.  There are thoughts, desires and dreams that are too often beyond what we want others to know about.  They are the ones we try to hide; yet deep down we know they are there.

    These are the ones that the devil loves to torment us with.  These are the little, yet persistent sinful desires that nag at us and keep getting in the way of our complete trust in God.  These are the doubts that the devil throws at us.  These are the things that open the door to hearing the devil whisper to you, “Did God really say?” or worse “when God finally sees what you really are, he will throw you out.”  So, we sit and wonder, sometimes all alone, if that is true.  Sometimes, when we are facing a struggle or a challenge in life, those whispers get a little louder as the devil tries to tell you that God is “getting” you for something.

    These are lies pure and simple.  They are designed to draw us from God’s grace and into a place of despair and a place of hopelessness.  They are designed to leave us in fear.  Yet we don’t need to be there.  God wants us to be close to him.  God wants us to be near him so that we can rest safely in his arms.  God wants us near so that we can know and experience his peace.  This is why God invites us to close the door; he wants us to speak from the depths of our heart, in whispers of confidence that he has already wiped away those sins.  He wants us to speak truthfully from the heart so that we may free ourselves of the sins that the devil uses to taunt us with.  When you lose the sin, the devil loses his ammo.

Dearest Father, lead me to close the door and to speak to you with all my heart and all my focus.  Lead me to know your love and forgiveness.  Lead me to trust in your grace to always protect me.  Lead them to the light and warmth of your mercy.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

12-18-2023

Good Morning All,

     Genesis 3:1; “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

    “Boys and girls take warning, "If you go near the lake; keep your eyes wide open and look for sneaky snake" that is the first line from a country song by Tom T. Hall titled “Sneaky Snake.”  The good thing about this snake is that it only steals your root beer.  It may not be what you want to have happen, but you could live with it.  This sneaky snake isn’t quite as bad as the real sneaky snake.  The real one steals your hope, your peace and, eventually, your soul.   The devil wants all that and more just because he does.  His only desire is pain and suffering because he likes to watch it.

    The devil uses many tactics to distract us.  He uses the same question on us that he used on Eve; “Did God actually say?”  His goal quite simply is to make you doubt, just a little, because that doubt is like a little water in a tiny crack in a wall.  If that water freezes, the crack gets bigger and soon more water, more freezing and soon the crack is gaping and the wall will soon begin to fall down.  It never takes much water to start with; it just slowly occurs sometimes it is almost imperceptible at first.  Soon the crack is huge and doubt drives us to despair. 

    The devil also likes to keep you looking around, trying to distract you.  It is a lot like driving your car, if you don’t pay attention, you can soon find yourself in a wreck.  The devil tries to get you to look away from God and his grace and to doubt that it even exists.  This is the devil’s favorite ploy, plant a little doubt and watch what happens.

    This is why it is so important for us to really take the time to focus on God and his grace. We need to spend time in his Word and to spend time in prayer.  The devil will always whisper in your ear, “Did God really say...?”  He will then go on to cause you to doubt your value, your self-worth, the love of those around you, the love that God has for you, really anything he can find to make a small crack in your wall of faith.  He wants anything to cause you to separate from God and to lose sight of God’s grace and goodness.  He will attack; we always need to be prepared.

    We are best prepared when we stay close to God.  Martin Luther told us to always cling to the cross that way we would always have hope.  Trust in God’s mercy for you.  In the face of everything that the devil will throw at you, God never stops loving you.  In the end we cling to God’s promise of mercy and salvation.  So, when the devil asks, “Did God really say?”  You can answer confidently, “Yes, God really said that I am his beloved child.”  Trust in God for his mercy.

Gracious Father, I often experience doubts and at times feel weak.  Give me your Spirit of strength that I may stand up to the devil’s attacks.  Be with those who are especially struggling with all the devil throws at them.  As they waver, give them the certainty of your grace and goodness.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

12-17-2023

Good Morning All,

             Luke 8:24; “The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.”

   It is getting a little hairy right now.  This week, I have a winkel (pastor’s gathering) to lead, two Advent services, a funeral then seven services in about 28 hours next Sunday/Monday.  Add this to regular visitations and the like; I feel like the disciples, “Help, I am going to drown!”

   I don’t say this to look for sympathy; I know that all of you have had similar times in your life, especially this time of year, when it seems like it is all going to come tumbling down.  It seems to come all at once; the job requirements are heavier than usual, the kids are sick, your spouse doesn’t seem to offer much help, then the car won’t start or something like that occurs.  We have all been there.  It just seems to all pile up and come at us at once. 

    Sometimes it might even be worse, health struggles pile upon relational issues with a dash of financial battles.  It can get even the best person down.  Like in our verse, the disciples, for the most part, were all very experienced fishermen; they knew the lake and had probably battled other fierce storms.  Yet this one was different; this one really scared them, and they saw only their impending doom ahead.

   We face the same type of struggles; times when we see no hope.  We look at the situation and the events around us and we feel like we are going to drown.  The doctors can’t figure out why we are sick.  The job seems to never get going properly, the kids or your spouse or your parents just seem to lack any type of support or affection that is helpful.  We are drowning and we can’t seem to stop.

    We need to do what the disciples did; we need to call to Jesus to strengthen our heart, to revive our faith and to encourage our spirit.  No matter how great the problem is, it is not greater than God.  No wave coming at us can ever separate us from God’s love.  There is no task so daunting; there is no trial so great that God will ever walk away from you.  You will never stand alone.  The truth for us is no secret; God’s grace will carry us through.

    That is always the basic truth to hold onto.  Whether you are a young couple just starting out together or you are saying goodbye to a loved one, God’s grace is our rock and our fortress.  It is in his grace that the storms of life may batter us, but they will never destroy us.  God is always there to calm the storms, to lead us through them and to use them to strengthen our faith.  Each trial we pass builds our faith as we experience God’s grace in our life.  Trust in God to deliver from drowning in the battles of life and to give you life, life eternal with him.

Father, in you we have hope; at times it seems like we are drowning in the struggles of this life.  It feels like the cares of this world can be too great.  But we know you are with us and that your loving arm is protecting us.  Defend us from all perils.  Be with those who see no hope; lead them to the knowledge of your tender mercy.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

12-16-2023

Good Morning All,

   Jonah 2: 1-2; “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.   He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.  From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help and you listened to my cry.”

       Have you ever been there?  Have you ever been in the belly of the fish?  Have you ever felt so cut off that there seemed to be no hope?  I can honestly say that I have never been there.  I have never felt that much pain.  I remember talking to a young man who was there.  It was quite a revealing conversation.

    He was a young man who was very exuberant in his faith.  He expressed it freely to you.  As we discussed his enthusiasm, he was very quick to tell you that it wasn’t always this way.  There was a time when he used drugs and alcohol frequently.  There were very few nights when he was sober.  He seldom had a job for more than a week.  He had been arrested a few times and spent the night in jail more than once.  He often slept in the park.  He had stolen money from his family and used people to get what he wanted.  He hadn’t been married but was father to two children by women he hardly knew.  He only chased the next fix or the next drink.  One day it caught up to him.  He had been arrested, again, for possession of narcotics.  This time, no one bailed him out.  So, he sat in the jail cell waiting for his trial.

    About a week into his wait, his brother came into the cell and looked at him and asked him, “Have you finally sunk low enough?  Have you been in the belly of the fish long enough?”  The young man said that what was really strange to him was that he understood his brother’s question; he didn’t know why but he did.  He looked at his brother and told him, “Yes, I have been here long enough.”  They prayed together and the young man began the long journey back.  His long dormant faith was bringing him back.  He is mostly reconciled with his family and is working on a relationship with his children.  That is hard because the mothers are still into the drug and alcohol, and he can’t be around that yet; it is still too enticing.

   Maybe you have been there or maybe you are there.  Maybe you have hit as far down as you can.  It may be drugs, it may be promiscuity, it may be abandonment of family or faith; it may be a lot of things but right now you are in the belly of the fish.  Call out to God and he will answer you.  Cry to the Lord in your pain or your sorrow and he will answer you.  It might take a while to get out of the fish.  There may be some healing to accomplish with those whom you have hurt but God is with you, and he will heal you by his grace.  He will first reconcile you back to himself through Jesus.  Then, slowly and with a lot of help, he will reconcile you to the world around you. It can be a tough row to hoe, but God will help you through.  Know that whatever has been done; God will forgive you and will bring you home to be with him.  God wants you out of the belly of the fish; hear his call to salvation.

Father, we pray for those who are suffering in the belly of the fish.  Whatever their pain, Father we ask that you bring them comfort and to know the hope that we have in the cross.  Lead those who can help to reach out to them.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret