Tuesday, April 30, 2024

4-30-2024

Good Morning All,

      John 1:14; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    An intersection is the point where a line on the “x” axis crosses a line on the “y” axis. We usually use it in connection with streets or roads. It is where an east-west road crosses a north-south road. Often times, the intersection of two main roads will be where a city may start or some other businesses which can take advantage of the traffic. This was especially true in years past when there might be a stream or well to go along with the traffic and this place became the place to travel to.

    Yet the word intersection can be used in ways beyond transportation. It can also be where two ideas or thoughts, or two cultures meet. Some believe this occurs in college or in a cultural museum, but it can, and often does, happen in your local coffee shop. An intersection is where two things meet, or cross and this meeting can be significant.

    As Christians, we can see Jesus as an intersection, the crossing of grace and truth. In truth, you and I are sinners, we deserve to suffer and die eternally for our sins. We owe them and they must be paid. This is the truth; sin separates us from God. In order for us to be able to stand in God’s presence, those sins have to be paid for; that is what justice and truth demand. Yet God, being a God of steadfast love and desiring that we may live as his beloved children wanted a way to return us to his family. He couldn’t just forget about the sins, this would have been against his character of being a just God so another plan had to be in place. A way for God’s justice is satisfied and he can show his mercy to his people. We needed an intersection of truth and grace. That intersection looks a lot like the cross and that point of intersection is Jesus.

    If we think of the vertical beam, sometimes called the stipe, of the cross and God’s need for justice, the payment of sin and then think of the horizontal beam, sometimes called the patibulum, is God’s grace. These two characteristics of God, which can seem to be complete opposites, actually cross each other and the intersection is Jesus. Jesus came to live a life fully under the Law while keeping the Law perfectly. He did not deserve the stipe, but he hung there, displaying God’s grace by paying your debt with his death. God’s grace, paying our debt himself, the intersection of grace and truth is in Jesus, our savior, our hope, our peace.

    This intersection is what gives us life, which nourishes our relationship with our heavenly Father. It is where God proclaims “Yes” to us as his children. It is where we find eternal life.

Gracious Father, we thank you for our intersection, for loving us enough to allow your Son to pay our debt. Guide us by Your Spirit to walk in the ways of your grace and to keep all your commandments that we may bring glory to your holy name. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Monday, April 29, 2024

4-29-2024

Good Morning All,

      Acts 1:11; “They asked, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking at the sky? Jesus, who was taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”
  “I shall return.”  As many of you know this was the phrase uttered by Gen. MacArthur as he was leaving the Philippines.  The Japanese Imperial Army was conquering the islands and the general had to evacuate or be captured.  As he left, he made this now famous statement.  His opponents saw it as false bravado; his supporters saw it as an attempt to bolster the morale of the troops and native Philippines.

     Many of the people left behind actually did find some comfort in his statement.  Even through the darkest days of the occupation by the Japanese, it gave them hope.  The people left behind kept hope because they believed that the general would keep his promise so they struggled and battled as best they could.  They believed that eventually he would return and bring with him the necessary army to drive out the Japanese.  These islanders faced many hardships while he was gone but eventually, they were liberated.  The general returned to the islands.

    Jesus made the promise to us to return.  He told his disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them.  He went back to His Heavenly Father to prepare a place and then to return to us.  The angels told the disciples that Jesus would return just as he left, in visible form.    We wait for the return of Jesus.  It is what we cling to even in the darkest hours; it is the hope that we hold onto.

    We look forward to Christ’s return; it is what we hope for.  Until he returns, we wait in a world which is still full of pain, still full of sorrow.  The world is still infected by sin and as a result we still have some dark times ahead.  We may face health troubles, job troubles or relationship troubles or a myriad of other events.  Yet we know that the time will soon come when Jesus returns and rescues us from this tyranny.  He will return to destroy all the evil which the devil does.  When Jesus returns, he will restore creation back to its perfect “very good” form.

    When Jesus returns as king, the creation will be restored.  The rift between heaven and earth will be fixed.  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords will once again walk in the cool of the morning with man.  This is his promise; I will come again and take you to myself.  We will be liberated from the tyranny of the devil forever.  In those days and at that time we will see Jesus face to face and celebrate with him and with all those who have gone before us in faith.  We will enjoy true peace and true joy.  We will celebrate the joyous feast forever when Jesus returns.  Jesus promised to return and to take you to him.  This is a promise we can rely on.

Dear Father, you sent Jesus to pay for our sins and He promised to return to bring us to him.  Give to us the certainty of this hope, whatever befalls us keep us strong and certain of your grace.  Come Lord, Jesus, come.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret          

Sunday, April 28, 2024

4-28-2024

Good Morning All,

            Matthew 11:28; “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

        Are you rested up from the Christmas holidays or are you wearing out from chasing kids or grandkids to ballgames or matches?  Are you rested or are you tired?  It seems that we are usually either tired or rested.  It usually seems that we are tired more often than we are rested but once in a while we are rested.  Don’t you wish you could figure out the being rested part more than being tired part?

   One of the greatest dangers we face is that we take our eyes off of Jesus and we place our eyes, and our trust, somewhere else.  Maybe you experienced a childhood that left you feeling left out or passed by.  You may have felt tired as you grew up and so you sought out your own solace.  You relied on your skill and wit.  As you grew you maybe came to see your family, your job, perhaps your marriage as your source of comfort and hope.  Yet trusting these things can leave you tired.  Placing our hope in the things of this world; like wealth, popularity, personal strength, or knowledge may seem like the right path but in the end, it leaves us tired.  It leaves us tired because these things always fall short.  There are always times when these will fail, and we will have to figure out a way to make up the shortfall.  So, the strength we think is here comes up short and we are left tired and empty.

    This is why Jesus invites us to, “come;” he invites us to come and rest.  He offers us the rest of a small baby as she lies against her mother’s chest, sleeping the deep and contented sleep.  She rests in the comfort and safety of her mother’s loving arms, hearing her mother’s heartbeat, feeling the gentle warmth of her mother’s touch.  She sleeps the deep sleep of total rest and comfort.  This is the rest that Jesus invites us to have.

    He invites us to the rest that results from knowing that all our needs are met.  He invites us to the rest where we trust wholly in his love to bring us that rest.  We do not need to seek anything else for that comfort and rest; it is all in the hands and the loving arms of Jesus.  So, when other things or other people fail us, and they will sometimes by selfish aim and sometime by no fault at all; they will fail.  The doctors can only do so much; our spouses and family can only do so much; our wealth can only go so far; eventually, everything else will fail but we will always have Jesus.  He will never fail us.  He never has and he never will.

    We can trust and take comfort, find our peace and our rest in his unfailing love; a love that saved you and me and gives us that hope that we seek and that rest that we desire.  Rest in his loving embrace.

Father of loving mercy, we come to you for rest.  We come because Jesus invites us to come to him for rest. Bring us by your Spirit to hear his invitation and to seek his rest.  Be with those who are tired from the cares of this world.  Give them your holy rest and peace.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, we pray, amen.

 God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Saturday, April 27, 2024

4-27-2024

Good Morning All,

             Galatians 2:20; “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

        I always remember the line about how “there is no such thing as bad press.”  This usually pertains to entertainers and to the idea that as long as your name is in front of the people, as long as they think about you, then you are still famous.  The public may hear that you were picked up for drunk driving but at least you are still in the public eye.  This is especially true for the not so famous anymore who grasp past glory.  “No such thing as bad press.”

     You and I may scoff and snicker at that but to a certain extent we are the same way.  We like people to think that we are important.  We like for people to seek us out and “need” us.  We may even harken back to previous experiences to remind people that we are important.  This is partly why people refer back to “scoring the winning point in a crucial game in high school” when they are 40 or 50 years old.  It is why people refer back to a time when they were on a board or served on some committee a few years back; we want people to think we are important and that we matter and that our opinion matters as well.

    We may even shape our relationships around the idea that we are important.  We may attempt to control relationships in this fashion.  When someone threatens to “leave” a friendship or other relationship unless their “needs” are met; they are saying to the world, “I am the important one here.”  These relationships are often toxic and seldom last very long; for when we take the attitude that any relationship is about “me first;” that relationship will suffer greatly.

    Here we need to see that a truly successful relationship has both parties “crucifying” the old selfish self and being reborn, through Baptism, as the new creation that is in Christ.  We see our relationships as Christ does and that is to look to love, to comfort, to aid others more than self.  We live, not to feed the selfish nature, but to be in Christ holy presence and to be Christ to the world; to be his hands and arms, to be his voice and his ear, to be his shoulder and arms.  We are to be the personification of Christ to the world.  We are to place Jesus first in all of our doings, in all of our actions, in all of our relationships.

    So, as we go forward, let us remember that we have crucified the “old me;” we have drowned the me that demands to be first and God has given birth to the new me which is filled with the desire to serve Christ and him alone.  It is not “me first” but “Jesus first.”  

Father of love and mercy, in you we have hope.  Lead me to see that the old me is crucified and that the new me is in Christ’s image and in his Spirit.  Lead me to love and not demand.  Lead me to love and not require others to serve me.  Lead me to be your servant by serving the needs of others.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, April 26, 2024

4-26-2024

Good Morning All,

      Deuteronomy 31:8; “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

   One of the worst experiences for us as humans is to feel all alone.  Many of our popular songs in some way or form lament about being alone.  It might be a country song or an old rock song, a folk song, or a new modern song.  We worry about being alone; we fear being alone.  I know that numerous times I have spoken to older couples and each party wants to be the first to die.  It is not that they seek death, but they would rather die than live alone.  It is difficult for us to live alone.

    We, as humans, are really social and gregarious creatures.  We seek companionship and fellowship.  It is how we were created.  God made man and then made woman so that they would have companionship together.  They would love together; and, together, this bond would be the basic bond or building block for our society and civilization.  The need for this bond is what drives men and women to seek companionship, to be inclusive in our gatherings, and to look after those around us.  We seek companionship, love, acceptance, being valued and treasured.  These are all part of what it means to be human; to be the creatures that God created us to be.

     It is also one of our weaknesses that the devil and our sinful nature attempt to attack and exploit.  It usually occurs in tandem with another stressful or painful event in our life.  We may have lost a spouse and suddenly we feel completely alone.  We may have lost a job, or some other form of income and we are no longer able to be in our group of friends and now we are on the outside looking in and we feel alone.  We may have health issues which separate us from the life we had and now we feel alone.  We feel we are facing the illness alone; we are facing a change in our life alone; we are facing each day without that person who had always been there and now we are alone.

    The devil takes stressful events, whispers in our ear, feeds our doubts and our uncertainties and with a practiced voice and meter begins to try and separate you from God.  He tries to lead you away from God’s family.  He fills your head with lies and your heart with anxiety.  He tells you that you are all alone and your fear and anxieties mount.  The lie is false; you are not alone God is with you, but the anxiety and the fear are real; you feel the pain.

    So, keep your eyes focused on God; he will not abandon you.  He will comfort you and he will use those around you to do so.  Seek them out; they will not abandon you.  God’s Spirit will move them to you.  Experience God’s grace: know that his love for you knows no bounds.  He will never abandon you or leave you alone.  When that fear or anxiety strikes, turn it over to God and he will restore you.

Gracious Father; keep me in your loving arms.  Hold me tightly to your chest so that I may never know the pain of loneliness.  And when the devil lies to me, give me the reassurance of your loving grace.  Send your Spirit to keep me comforted. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Thursday, April 25, 2024

4-25-2024

Good Morning All,

     Galatians 4:5; “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

      I remember watching a movie a few years back that was about the gangsters of the 1930’s.   It had these three men rob a bank.  Over the next few years, they ran and ran but everywhere they went; pretty soon a policeman from the town that had the bank that they robbed would show up and they would have to run again and again.  Eventually, at the end of the movie, there was the big shoot out scene and one of the brothers is killed and the other two are wounded but arrested.  As they are hauled away in the police car a narrator voice that sounded like a cross between Broderick Crawford and William Conrad said, “You can’t outrun the long arm of the law.”

    That phrase, “the long arm of the law” is really very old.  It goes back to the 1500’s and originally referred to the king’s ability to collect his taxes.  There was no place to hide from the long arm (or hands) of the king.  It later changed to the law in the United States.  It simply refers to the idea that you cannot get away with anything.  The law will always be after you and you will never have any peace.  You can run all you want but eventually you will get caught.

    This saying refers to using fear to accomplish its goal. The goal of this saying is to maintain order and to keep the law.  It uses fear and guilt to keep you obeying the law.  We are afraid of the punishment, so we behave as desired.  In many ways, we can see the law of God the same way.  It has long arms as well.

     We may think that there are times or places where we can live away from God’s law but there truly isn’t.   Late at night, when no one is watching or even when we are completely alone in our thoughts, whenever and wherever sins creep or leap into our life the long arm of the law will be there.  It will be there to point out our faults and our sins.   It will be there as the weight for us to carry as we soon see our weaknesses and the distance between who we are and who we should be. 

     The wonder of God’s Gospel is that it has even longer arms than the law.  God’s Gospel message of forgiveness because of Jesus reaches for us no matter how great a depth or distance away from God that we feel we are; God’s love reaches us with his merciful words of forgiveness.  No matter how guilty we feel because of the law; God’s grace reaches farther and wraps us in his loving embrace to comfort and to forgive you and to bring you home.

Father of all love and mercy, when I feel beaten down by the law and my guilt and pain are great, you are there to give me the comfort of your love given to me through Jesus.  Lead me to see that your love changes my heart and my life.  Help me to change into the person that you desire me to be.  Help me to see that life in harmony with you rather than opposed to you brings peace and contentment to my life.  Open my eyes, dear Father.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

4-24-2024

Good Morning All,

     Ecclesiastes 12:13; “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.   

         So, what are we supposed to do?  This is a question that gets asked often.  Sometimes it is asked when a group of people get together to help a neighbor who is sick.  They gather together to do a needed task; it might be a group of farmers to plant or harvest; it might be a group who gathers to paint a house or fix windows.  It is just a group of people who gather together to help someone else out.  Sometimes these events are spontaneously planned.   Everyone shows up at an agreed upon time and date.  Everyone looks around and then ask, “What are we supposed to do?”  Eventually, things get worked out and the action gets done.

    So, what do I do?  We may ask that in regard to our faith as well.  One day, we suddenly hear God’s Word.  We can hear his words of forgiveness as the exact thing we need to hear.  We may even feel as though a weight has been lifted from our shoulders.  Our sinful desire has been replaced with the desire of God’s Spirit.  Now what do we do?  Some think they have this long list of actions to perform.  Some think that a payment is required.  Some think they are now required to behave a certain way or talk a certain way or change into someone they are not.  They think that “thees” and “thous” are the new norm. 

     The truth for many of us is that our life may not seem that much different.  We will have the same job, the same friends, the same family.  We will still owe on our credit cards and house payments.  On the outside, it may not seem like much change but on the inside we change.  We may still do much of the same things in life, but we have a different motive and a different purpose.  Our desire is to love God and to live that love and to show that love.  Our newfound purpose is simple; fear God and keep his commandments. 

    We fear God by respecting Him and giving him and his name honor.  We do this by keeping his name holy, separate from the lowly uses.  We do not cheapen it with carelessness in the specialness of His name but rather we cherish it for what it is, the name of the One who brings us hope, healing, comfort, and peace.  We keep his commandments by doing his will which is to show love and compassion to those around us; by showing this love and compassion to those who are hurting and in need.  We do this because of his great love for us; we do it as a form of thank you to God.  That is all we really do; we say thank you to God for all he does for us.  We show our thanks by how we live and how we deal with others.

Father, your love for us is beyond our measure or understanding.  Help me to show my thanks for your precious gift of salvation.  Help me to experience the joy of your healing and to share that great joy with those that you have placed on my journey that I may share your love with them.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

4-23-2024

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 hear that throughout the world in some way, shape or form.  We are told by many people, “just have faith.”  Maybe you have heard, “keep the faith.”  We hear all the time that faith has sustained me.  Maybe you have even heard the phrase, “you got to believe.”   We hear that a lot when a basketball team or a football team is way behind in the game and then come up and win the ballgame.  Many times, we can hear someone yell in the background, “you got to believe.”   But did you ever stop to think what that phrase really means?

    Unfortunately, in our world today, not many people really do know what this phrase means.  To many, it means just believe; it doesn’t really have any purpose.  It means that you just have to believe in something.  It might be luck that you believe in; it might be the way a cat walks down the road.  Many people do not think that it makes what you believe in as long as you believe in something.  This type of thought puts all of the power of faith in the believer’s hands or head.  It places the result on the skill, competence, endurance or will of the person who has the faith.  It places the object of the faith in the wrong direction.

    Faith, true faith, places its trust in something or someone outside of the person with faith.  You may have faith in your parents, your spouse, your boss or even in your pastor.  You may place your faith here but, down the road, at some time those people will fail you and let you down.  So will any earthly or human being, plan, or construct.  Just like the hymn says, “when every earthly prop gives way” and it will.  If we place our faith in the wrong thing or person, our faith will fail because the one in whom we placed our faith has failed.

    This is why our only true hope is God.  He is the only one who has never failed to keep his promises.  God alone has shown that when we have faith in him, when we embrace his love, mercy, and promise, we will never fall short.  We will never fall short because God will never fall short.  Our faith depends entirely on God and his grace.  It is not our power or might or will, but it is the loving mercy of God our holy Father.  God alone is our hope and salvation; in him and only him will our faith rest assured.

Father of all hope, in you we place our trust and our hope.  In you we never fail for your Word is true.  Keep us safe in your wonder care.  Defend us from the attacks of the devil so that we may lead a peaceful and content life.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret              

Monday, April 22, 2024

4-22-2024

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 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 couldn’t live with this.  Remember what the serpent told Eve, “you will be like God” so Eve ate, and Adam did too.  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.  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 creatures.  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

Sunday, April 21, 2024

4-21-2024

Good Morning All,

     1 Thessalonians 4:9; “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another”

        One of the “standby” plots in many movies is the unwanted, perhaps uninvited guest. It might be to a wedding or Thanksgiving or Christmas. They just show up. There was even one movie where this couple arrived and celebrated and left before anyone realized they weren’t related to anyone at the wedding.

     It is somewhat ironic that the one thing most people claim to seek for Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or a wedding, is to have family around them. Yet it can be a great source of angst and worry.  We wonder if we have anything in common; we wonder if our tastes are even close.  So, we fret about getting along; maybe we fret all year long.  Yet God wants us to live as his dear children and to love one another; here are a couple of ideas.

    First and foremost, pray for one another.  Take the time to honestly and earnestly pray for those whom you love.  Ask God to bless them and to give them the peace the need to live healthy and contented lives.  Another thing to try is to focus on engaging in small acts of kindness for one another.  Open the door, offer to get a cup of coffee, give a complement.  These small and simple acts can show another that you value them, first as a human but also as someone of importance in your life.  It is when we begin to get stingy with these small acts that we can tend to drift apart.  

    Another tool to use is to always pay attention to your “inner voice.”  If your inner voice, your conscience, God’s Spirit active in your heart and mind, tells you that you would not like experiencing the event that is occurring; then chances are the other person won’t enjoy them either.  This is part of God’s Spirit getting you to remember the “do unto others as you would have them do to you” scenario.  If you would not enjoy being treated the way you treat others; they don’t either.

    Another way is to try and help your loved one feel secure.  If our actions make the other person feel less secure in the relationship, be it a marriage, family setting or church family; the other person will often withdraw as a defense mechanism to avoid being hurt.  One way to address this is to express how much you value the other person’s worth in your life.  Express to them how much they make your life better and that you would feel less fulfilled without them in your life.

   One last way is to open yourself up and be vulnerable.  Opening yourself up to express your true feelings and then experience the love and joy, the pain and sorrow of a relationship can make it easier for others to do so as well.  Above all, know that God’s will for us is to live in healthy relationships ad he gives us his Spirit to make them work.

Father, give me the wisdom to love my brothers and sisters as you love me.  Open my eyes and my heart to the need for love in this broken world.  Open my spirit to giving this love without question.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Saturday, April 20, 2024

4-20-2024

Good Morning All,

     Genesis 1:31; “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

     One of life’s great pleasures for me now is to watch my grandchildren grow. I watch them play and marvel as they accomplish new tasks and solve problems and overcome past struggles.  I still have on my cell phone the video as we watched my oldest grandson’s first attempt to climb down steps on his own.  He and his siters and his cousins continue to grow and gain in strength, courage, and faith. It is what parents and grandparents do; we revel in the growth and development of our children.  We look forward to sharing those events as we go.

    It is an amazing fact that this is how God looks upon us as well.  You are his dear children who he looks forward to walking in the cool of the morning with.  You are the children he likes to gaze at as we sleep.  You are the reason that God’s view of creation went from good to very good.  This is a phenomenal event.

    Think of all the beauty that exists in God’s creation.  Think of the beauty of a sunrise or sunset.  Think of the majestic beauty of a mountaintop or the splendor of a lush valley.  Think of the beauty in the stars or the amazing view that exists throughout the animal world or the shape of the clouds.  Think of how the psalmist wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”  The beauty of God’s creation is above everything, yet God chooses to watch you.  It is you that he chooses to love.  It is you that he chooses to have this loving, fatherly relationship with.  It was no other creature that was made a living soul.  It is you.

    So, live your life with a renewed faith in the truth.  This truth is that God’s love for you knows no bounds.  His love for you causes him to give you the forgiveness that you so desperately need.  His love for you gives us the hope that we can hold onto when all looks hopeless and lost.  His love sustains us when all else fails.  So, if your last year was particularly difficult and your struggles tough; let’s look forward to the grace that God bestows upon his people.

   Strive to leave the past in the past.  Strive to leave the devil’s assaults and lies behind you.  Don’t let them drag you down.  Leave the anger, the bitterness, and the sorrow behind.  These are tools the devil uses to hold you down and to keep you from experiencing God’s wonderful grace.  You are the apple of God’s eye; live with the joy and peace and comfort that God desires you to have.  God views you as very good, worthy of redemption by Jesus.  Trust in his mercy for this coming year.

Father, in you we have hope for your mercies are new to us each day.  Keep us strong in our faith and give us the courage to live as your children.  Be with those who are battling the attacks of the devil.  Lead them to your safe arms.  Give them comfort in your grace and keep them in the knowledge of your salvation.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, April 19, 2024

4-19-2024

Good Morning All,

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Thursday, April 18, 2024

4-18-2024

Good Morning All,

             Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

    During these past few weeks, my wife, my children, and grandchildren have each been battling a cold.  So, with the coughing and nose blowing and getting up to get a drink or take some medicine; a peaceful night’s sleep has been somewhat missing.  Yet in a couple of more days, they will return.  A cold or the flu only lasts so long and soon it gets back to its normal quietness.  Yet for many people in the world, a night of peaceful slumber is hard to come by.

    Many in this world do not sleep peacefully at night.  Some experience this discomfort because of the situation they are in.  They may be homeless or about to be.  They may be hungry or without a job.  They may be in a family where there is no love.  This may be the result of drunks, alcohol, uncontrolled anger or just plain worn out.  That is not counting the millions of people who try to go to sleep at night in a part of the world that is at war.  There are a lot of reasons not to sleep.

    Some of those reasons are self-made and self-inflicted.  Taking a drunken swing at a police officer and then losing your job over it, is pretty much self-inflicted.  Cheating on your spouse is pretty much self-inflicted.  Deciding not to go to work and losing a job is pretty much self-inflicted.  These and dozens of other stories like them can cause you to not get any peaceful sleep.

    There are lots of reasons for nights without peaceful sleep, but the primary reason is that we, as sinful beings, feel a rage within us that is not quenched.  It is always someone else’s fault that I have no peace.  The boss is a jerk, my spouse doesn’t understand me, it was all a big misunderstanding that they overreacted to.  It is not my fault; it is never my fault that I don’t have peace in this world.  Sometimes it isn’t your fault, but if you look really closely and honestly; often times it is.

    The reason most people have no peace is because they think peace comes from themselves or can be enforced.  The truth is that there is only one source of true peace and that is God and the knowledge of his forgiveness of our sins.  The only way to have peace is to receive that peace from God.  We receive that peace when we know that God, through his mercy, has forgiven our sins; we can face the new day with a fresh start.  It gives us the power and opportunity to try and amend our past mistakes.  It gives us the comfort to know that no matter what situation we are in, the situation does not define us; rather it is God’s grace that defines us as his redeemed children.  That is what gives us peace, God’s pure grace and pure grace alone.

Father, I ask that tonight you give me your peaceful sleep.  Guide through the maze of the devil’s lies and tricks.  Help me to see in you the only true hope for peace exists.  Lead me to surrender to your mercy and cling to your grace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

4-17-2024

Good Morning All,

                 Isaiah 21:12; “The watchman says: “Morning comes, and also the night.  If you will inquire, inquire; come back again.”

       Miss Stella, as she was known to everyone, had resided in the nursing home for over 25 years.  She moved in shortly after her husband had passed away.  She had already outlived all of her siblings, her husband’s siblings, and two of her children.  She had outlived all of those who were in her confirmation class and most of her contemporaries.  For many people in her situation, they would question their pastor as to why God was leaving them here; did he forget me?  Why won’t he take me home?  I have been alone long enough.  But not Miss Stella; she was on the other end of the spectrum.

    Whenever her pastor or anyone would visit, she would tell them, “God can’t take me yet; I still have too many people to pray for” and pray she did.  She prayed for dozens of people every day.  Many were the same, but a few changed depending on the situation of their life.  She prayed for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  She prayed for her pastor and those in her nursing facility who were ill or having a difficult time and those on her church prayer list.  One thing anybody who knew Miss Stella; at some point in time, she prayed for you.  Most of her family and friends found that one simple fact very comforting.

    In her own way, Miss Stella was a watchman.  Watchmen were essential in the times of the Old Testament as they would look out from the city towers and look for trouble coming from far off.  They would also watch out for the people of the city, telling them what was coming and helping them make decisions about travel or trade.  Scriptures, especially Isaiah, has the watchman praying for the people.  Even though Miss Stella was frail and at times had a difficult time holding a fork, her hands were always strong enough to fold in prayer.  She knew that God was listening so day in and day out she prayed for the people on her list asking God to come into their lives and assure them of his healing touch.

    Somewhere in your life, you have a watchman.  Someone is praying for you.  It may be a grandparent or parent, a spouse or just a friend but somewhere you have a watchman.  This is such a comforting fact that I hope it moves you to become a watchman for someone else.  Look around you and seek out those who you can pray for.  It is not hard; there are so many to choose from.  Yet commit yourself to pray for people that you know.  It can be your pastor or your church officers, it can be your grandchildren or your neighbors, it can be those kids down the street that never seem to have enough.  No matter how weak our hands may ever be; they are always strong enough to pray.

Father, lead me to pray for my family and friends.  Lead me to be a watchman.  Guide my intercessions that I may commit to praying for the welfare of these people.  Guide me so that I may see the wonderful opportunity that I have to pray for those around me.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

4-16-2024

Good Morning All,

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

     Little Timmy was a rambunctious young man.  He seemed to be able to cause grief for his mother most of the day.  He was often more curious than anything but that still led to broken flowerpots, or spilled milk or broken windows or electronics which were no longer in working order.  He kept his parents on their toes at all times.  Yet today, he was especially active even for Timmy.

     After an exhausting day, Mother decides that it is best if Timmy goes to bed before anything else can go wrong.  She gave him his bath and then they went to his room for his one book and then Timmy was saying his prayers.  Timmy was exceptionally quiet during his book time.  When it came time for his prayers, he seemed restless.  His mother asked what was wrong.  He asked his mother if he could pray by himself.  Sensing something was wrong she asked, “Bobby, is there anything you want to tell me?” “No, Mommy, you would just scold me. If I tell God, he will forgive me and then forget about it.”

    Maybe you have had days like little Timmy.  Maybe you didn’t start out to sin but by the end of the day, there were a couple whoppers.  They may have even been bad enough to hurt, to have really hurt.  You may even feel that if you admit to them; God will turn away from you.  So, we try and hide them away. We think we can hide them in the back of our mind and in our psyche.  We think if we push them down enough that they will go away, but they always remain around to bug us and to remind us of our weaknesses and our failures.

    The thing we need to remember is that little Timmy was right.  When you tell God, he will forgive and forget; in fact, he forgave even before you told him.  He forgave them when Jesus died on the cross at Calvary.  The sin you commit is forgiven.  God has released you from the consequences of that sin by placing the cost on Jesus.  His freedom is complete.  Your sins are gone, as far as the east is from the west.  He keeps no record of them so you shouldn’t either.  You should let those sins that burden your heart and soul go.  You should free yourself from the pain and guilt that the devil likes to use to keep you down.  God has freed you; trust in his grace to let you enjoy that freedom.  Take hold of this freedom from the slavery of sin and live the life that God has designed for you to live, as his dear children.

Merciful Father, your love pours over us every day.  Your grace supplies all that I need.  Move us by your loving kindness to hold onto your gift of forgiveness.  Give us the strength and courage to throw off the devil.  Hold us in your loving arms and keep us safe.  Keep us secure in your eye.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

Monday, April 15, 2024

4-15-2024

Good Morning All,

            Esther 9:28a; “that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.

    One family’s New Year’s Eve tradition was to gather around the fireplace with the year’s calendar, the one marked with all the schedules and activities. They would tear off January and recall the events of that month—the family gatherings, the parties, the odd happenings. There were laughs and a lot of “remember that?” Then January would be committed to the flames.

This was done 11 more times until December was in the fire. But not all the memories were happy ones. The family members also recalled times of anger, misunderstanding, quarreling, hurt, and pain that they had caused each other. At times they would remind each other of the forgiveness of Christ and speak a word of forgiveness to each other.  They remembered their past year, the good and the bad and the highs and the lows.  They remembered the events and they remembered God and what he did.

     Our verse comes from the story of Esther where a man named Haman tries to have all the Jews killed.  His attempt is thwarted by Mordecai and Esther.  This is celebrated on the feast of Purim which occurs usually in the month of March.  The celebration includes the sharing of food, donations to the poor, a celebration, and a re-reading of the story of Esther.  This is done to remember what God did for the Jews at this time and how he kept them safe.

   This is important for all of us to do; we need to remember what God has done for us and what he is doing for us and then look to what God promises us.  God has sustained us and protected us from the onslaught of the devil and the world.  We survived with God’s grace and blessings.  He continues to sustain and protect us from the wickedness that the devil intends for us.  God will protect us from the harm and pain that the devil tries to use to draw us away from God.  God wraps his loving arms around us and defends us with his mighty power.

    All these point to what God has promised to do for us.  He has promised to continue to protect and, when the fullness of our time is right, to complete our salvation and give to us the eternal glory that waits for us with Jesus.  We are already going on that path; we are already saved and participate in the joy.  This is why God protects and sustains us for we are his redeemed children.  He doesn’t save us for something later on; He saves you right now so that we can live with hope.  So, remember what God has done for you; it is the down payment on life eternal.   

Gracious Father, in you we have hope.  Guard us with your loving arms.  Keep us strong and secure in our faith that we may always remember what great blessings you have given to us and that you continue to place in our life.  Keep us safe until we reach our eternal home with you.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret