3-3-2014

   Good Morning to All,

    Matthew 7:24; “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

       This verse is part of the ending to the “Sermon on the Mount”.  Jesus is speaking to his hearers and then basically says; if you hear these words and do them you have built upon the rock but if you hear them and don’t do them you have built upon the sand.  This is an interesting way to end your sermon.

    It is as if Jesus stands at the end of the sermon (traditionally, he would have sat while the listeners stood) and says, “Thanks for coming; I hope you liked the sermon but if you only listened and didn’t take it to heart then we just wasted the whole afternoon.”  I am not sure about what reaction I would get if I ended a sermon like that; but I don’t I would get a “nice sermon, pastor,” on the way out. 

    Yet this is what Jesus tells us.  He is showing us the difference between just listening and actually responding with a changed heart.  We are to be a “new creation” as in “out with the old and in with the new.  Yet there is an even deeper meaning here.  It relates to the how the Pharisees were living their “faith” and what Jesus showed us what God meant.

    We could look at it and see the difference between being a “haughty” and being a “holy” Christian.  A haughty Christian knows all the right answers and knows all the right words and is often quick to point out to anyone around what “they” should do.  These types of “Christians” are the ones who do all the damage to our faith.  They speak holy but they don’t live holy.  They judge rather than love.

     A “holy” Christian does not necessarily live a perfect, sin-free life; but rather they hear God’s call, experience his love and have a changed heart and a different desire.  A holy Christian seeks not what is in it for him but how he can serve God.  We don’t have to seek what is in it for us because we already have all we need.  We have our eternal life already in our hands; we already possess it.  There is really nothing else to need or want.  We literally have it all.

     So God speaks to us and tells us that now that we have it all, we should tell others, show others, help others and draw others to his love.  We are his agents here on earth.  God has decided to use you and me to spread his Word of forgiveness and grace.  He has entrusted and empowered us with this task.  So he wants us to hear what he said about love and then go out and live it.  He wants us to be holy not haughty.  He wants us to draw others to him by showing his grace and mercy to all we meet.

Father of all grace, give to us the wisdom to live our life as your holy servant.  Lead us by your Spirit to be your hands and arms here on this earth.  Guide us to those who are in need of your grace and lead us to stand and serve you.  Lead us in your love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

3-2-2014

 Good Morning to All,

     Luke 18:13; “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

     When I first started to take classes at the seminary there was a standard joke told by all the professors the first time they talked to us.  Apparently it was in the “joke of the day” file of the morning announcements because each one told it.  We laughed harder when the president of the seminary or one of the deans of faculty told the joke than we did when one of the associate professors told it.  The joke was this.  “Now that you are going to become ministers you expect to be invited out to dinner more often.  People will invite you and feed you just so they don’t have to say a table prayer.”

    It was funny the first time but not so funny the fifth time.  Yet there is a certain amount of truth in this statement; many people will almost anything to get out of praying, especially in public.  So why are we so intimidated by praying?  For many, it is the “public” part that really throws us but almost as many have trouble praying.  I remember talking with a woman who struggled with prayer.  “I just don’t know all the right words.”  This is a common theme for many.  We don’t know all the “church words” and how to use them.

    The first thing to remember is that prayers which are part of the liturgy of the church have been written and honed throughout the centuries.  These are specially written for certain times and events.  Yet this should not deter our personal prayer.  The thing to remember is that prayers are not meant to impress your neighbor or even God but rather they are to speak from the heart.  Our verse is from the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying.  The Pharisee speaks loudly and boldly about how good he is.  This is for the benefit of those who are listening.

   Yet the tax collector never lifts his eyes to heaven and asks for mercy.  Notice his prayer is only seven words long.  Our prayers don’t need to be any longer than that.  “Father, forgive me for I am a sinner.” “Father, I am frightened; please comfort me.”  Father, I am in pain; please heal me.”  “Father, I am in sorrow and sadness; please console me.” “Father, thank you for this blessing.”  None of these are long or “churchy” but they express our needs and fears.  They express our joys and happiness.  This is what prayer is; it is telling God what it is in your life, right now, that causes you to lose sleep or cause you to cry or cause you to shudder.  Tell God, as simply as possible.  That is true prayer.

Father, too often we do not know the words to say.  We think we are inadequate and that we lack the skill to pray.  Father give us the courage to see that you desire our prayers and that through them you bless us.  Guide us by your Spirit to boldly come before your heavenly throne and seek your grace and that we can be confident of your mercy.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

3-1-2014

Good Morning to All,

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

    Do you remember the story of the little train that could?  This was the little train that made it over the mountain by saying, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”  Then when it made it over the mountain it said, “I thought I could, I thought I could.”  This is one of the first stories that children read and it is designed to encourage children to try new things and to have confidence in their ability to succeed.

    I used to use the contrarian version of this when I coached baseball.  I would tell my players that if they thought that they would fail then they would fail.  If a batter thought he would strike out then he would more than likely strike out.  It is similar in the idea that you have to have confidence in your ability to succeed.  If you lack confidence then you can almost guarantee that you will fail.

    Paul is telling us something similar.  When we read “I can do all things” it might be better to read it as “I can endure all things”.  Paul isn’t telling us that we are the little engine that could.  There are things we cannot do.  I cannot swim or run a mile in 5 minutes.  This is not what Paul is telling us.  He doesn’t mean that with enough determination we will be successful; he means that by clinging to our faith, we can endure everything that the devil and this world can throw at us.  We will endure until the end when we receive our crown of righteousness.

    God gives us the power to endure.  It might not be the power to avoid.  We may experience some of the worst things that the world will throw at us.  It might be health problems or relationship problems or any one of a myriad of other events and tragedies.  The world is still a broken place and still suffers from the ravages of sin.  Pain still occurs but we know that through it all, we will endure.  Our eternal hope is secure because of Jesus and his sacrifice.  Because of that we can endure everything for it is through Christ’s atoning work that we have salvation. 

    No matter what the devil throws at us, no matter how much he may try and torment you with his whispers of doubt and lies of despair. We can endure it through the strength of Christ.  We can do all things through him who strengthens us.  We can endure, persevere and then prevail.  God has promised us the eternal success of our salvation.  We will be restored, body and soul, when Christ returns.  But until we meet him in glory, we will wait and we will endure for God’s grace goes with us.

Father of all grace and mercy, because of your undying love we will endure.  You have promised to restore us to perfection with you.  We wait in your loving arms.  Be with those who feel that they are at the end of their strength.  Be with those who are wavering under the weight of the devil’s attacks.  Give them the certainty of your eternal love and grace.  Strengthen and preserve them Father.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret