2-7-2019

Good Morning All,

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

    Many years ago, I attended a convention.  The attendees were issued colored passes which marked where you were to sit.  The delegates were one color, the emeritus guests were a different color, elected members different color.  I was just a guest but through some fluke, the color of our pass was the same as the upper level elected members of the board.  As I was entering the convention area, a friend, who was also a guest, said that our color passes were way up front.  I didn’t want to sit up front (100% Lutheran) but he convinced me to sit by him in the very comfortable chairs, so up we went.  It only took a few minutes to realize (we were told in no uncertain terms) we weren’t who he thought we were and we shuffled to the back to the hard chairs.  Who do you think you are?

    This is an age-old question; in fact, it is the start of sin.  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. 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. 

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

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

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

2-6-2019

 Good Morning All,

              Psalm 62:8; “Trust him at all times, you people.  Pour out your hearts in his presence.  God is our refuge.”

    “Listen, do you want to know a secret?” was the opening line of a Beatles hit.  Of course, his secret was that he was in love with the girl so not that big of a deal.  But who do you confide in?  Who is that person who will keep your confidence and not share with anyone else what you tell them?  Who knows your secrets?  Who do you go to when you need to get things off your chest or off you mind?

    The origin of the court jester in the royal courts was one of being someone who the king would talk to and tell him all his innermost thoughts and fears.  The court jester was then one of the few who could speak bluntly to the king and get to keep his head.  The court jester served as a confessor to the king.  The king would confess all his thought, ideas, plans, desires, fears or whatever and the court jester would be a sounding board for the king.  It is somewhat ironic that someone who is viewed as a fool or simply an entertainer would serve this role but the court jester was one of the few people a king could trust.  The priests and bishops reported to the Pope in Rome and the other lords and ladies often had mischief and schemes afoot.  We all need some way to eliminate the frustrations and fears that we have and we need someone or somewhere to get rid of the burden.

    Our verse for this morning speaks to us of how God is to be our confessor.  Pour your hearts out before him; what an amazing phrase and an incredible promise yet we rarely use it.  We try to hide things from God.  I don’t know why we do that but we do.  We all have something, some sin; that we just refuse to let go of that we refuse to confess and yet God knows all our secrets.  When you and I confess our sins, or admit our fears, or acknowledge our weaknesses to God; we are not telling him anything new; God already knows.  Yet by confessing our sins and our other shortcomings we benefit.  You see as long as we hang onto those sins and those fears, the devil and our old sinful nature has stuff to throw at us stuff to make us feel ashamed and unworthy of God’s gifts.  As long as we think we are hiding that sin from God we have a 100 pound weight on our back and we just keep walking getting bogged down by the weight of our sin.  And remember this is a sin which God has already forgiven we just don’t want to let go so the devil just keeps picking at it like a scab from a cut, the devil just keeps picking and inflaming it and causing us pain.

   God tells us over and over,” it doesn’t have to be that way”.  Confess your sins, or as the Psalmist wrote ‘pour out your heart’ and God will give you refuge.  God sent his one and only Son to die a horrific death because he loves you; how much more proof do we need?  Pour out your heart; your sins and fears alike and let God deal with them.

 Gracious Father, we are slow to turn to you at all times and we miss so many of your tender mercies because of it.  Give us the wisdom to trust in You at all times that we may live the life that you desire for us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray.  Amen

God’s Peace,        

Pastor Bret      

2-5-2019

Good Morning All,

     Acts 13:41b; “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if it were reported to you!’”

    Over the past few weeks, my sons and I have played a game of picking the scores of the NFL games.  It was for bragging rights and there was much bragging and trash talk.  So, when it came time to pick the Super Bowl we had to pick the winning team, the point difference and then the total points scored. Three of us got the winning team (New England) correct, one got the difference correct (10) but we were way off of the point total scored.  I think if anyone of us would have said 16 points was the total scored; we would have been severely mocked yet, that was it.  As someone who has seen all the Super Bowls, I never imagined that two prolific quarterbacks, in ideal conditions, would accomplish such a low score.  Even if you told me, I would not have believed you.

    In our Bible verse, Paul is warning the Jews of Antioch against denying Jesus is the Christ. He quotes one of the prophets and tells them they wouldn’t believe it even if God had told them in advance what was going to happen.  The people were crying for justice and the Messiah to come.  He had come but they had killed him.

    The really amazing thing about this verse is that God is working today in our lives and in our world in a way that He did tell us about and many still don’t believe.  It started when God sent His Spirit to His people, to his Church.  God works through His Church.  God works in amazing ways through His Church.  This is how God chooses to work in the world today through His Spirit infused redeemed children.  We are God’s hands; we are God’s masks.  We are the way which God makes miracles happen.  When we comfort friends, we when we help neighbors, when we help those who cannot help themselves, God is at work. 

    We keep working for the Lord, serving Him in all ways right up until the time when we will have seen everything.  When Jesus returns in all His glory and every knee will bow and every mouth will confess that Jesus is Lord then we will have seen everything.  Today we live at a time when we are living under God’s grace and are approaching the time of God’s glory.  For grace is glory begun and glory is grace completed.  We celebrate God’s wonderful gifts and his glorious promise.  God is doing a work in our day that many will not believe.  But for us, those who have faith and trust in the promise of our salvation; it will provide a glorious end to a grace filled life and God even told us so.

Father of all goodness, your works are truly wondrous and astonishing.  Give us the surety of your love and the certainty of the hope of salvation.  Lead us to be those who live those wondrous lives of grace; touching those whom you seek to save and giving comfort to those who need it the most.  To You be all honor and glory!!  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

2-4-2019

Good Morning All,

                                           Deuteronomy 30; 19-20 I call on heaven and earth as witnesses today that I have offered you life or death, blessings or curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants will live. ²⁰ Love the Lord your God, obey him, and be loyal to him. This will be your way of life, and it will mean a long life for you

    “Choose”; not a very Lutheran concept.  But the Bible often gives us this stark concept.  In one of the Church’s earliest catechism, the Didache, begins with this sentence: “There are two ways, one life and one death, and there is a great difference between the two ways.”  It doesn’t get much plainer than that.  We walk down a road and there are two paths; one to the left and one to the right.  We get to choose.  Throughout the whole Bible, this concept is restated.

    Joshua told the people of Israel to choose whether to follow God or follow death.  Moses points out the simple truth of being with God and living or being against God and losing.  Samuel told them the same thing.  Isaiah and Jeremiah did; you get the picture.  The people chose and they chose wrong.

    Jesus tells us basically the same thing when he says that man cannot serve two masters.  He speaks of money and God.  We can see that as our selfish worldly wants and lusts.  We may not think we are serving money but when we always want more and more and are never happy with what we have; we are serving money.  We are serving that selfish, lustful, sinful desire to be our own God.  The Apostle John tells us the same thing when he speaks of the way of the light and the way of darkness.  We have a choice and we all make it.  Moses said, “choose life or death.”  Joshua said,” Choose you today.” We must choose between receiving Jesus as our Savior and God as the ultimate source of security and identity or we choose ourselves to fill that role.

    We can choose to be God.  We can figure out how to live eternally in happiness and certainty but we really aren’t that smart are we?  We can take the responsibility for making those around us care for us or desire to be with us but we aren’t that talented, are we?  We spend a lot of time convincing ourselves that we are completely in control of every situation that arises; we are smart enough, rich enough or powerful enough to deal with anything.  The truth is we are carrying warm jello in our open hands and it is running all over the place.

    Or we can simply choose to let God be God.  We can simply trust in his promise to provide, as he always has.  We simply trust his love to continue as it always has.  We simply trust the path that God has placed us on instead of always trying to run away to the other path.  We can live in faith or we can live in fear and loathing.  We can live in the arms of God’s grace or we can continually fight and oppose him.  We do get to choose; so, choose.

Dearest Father, you continually come to us choosing us as your children.  Give us the strength of faith to choose you.  Keep us strong in faith to you that we may exist in your kingdom forever.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

2-3-2019

Good Morning All,

        1 Corinthians 13:13; “So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.”

    If anyone ever questions whether we are born of a sinful nature, all you have to do is put 4 or 5 two-year-olds in a room with a few toys.  Pretty soon they will fight over them and take them away from each other and pretty soon most, if not all, will be crying.  It is really comical when you think about it.

    We can read in the paper or watch the news everyday where someone just wishes we could all just get along.  People should be able to reach out to their inner angels and grab hold of the basic human decency that is truly in all of us.  Because we all know, that deep down, we are all good, right?  If you really think that there is really basic human decency; watch a bunch of two-year-olds play.

    In our sinful nature, we always look out for our own interests and not that of others.  Now I know some of you are going to be offended but if you are truly honest; why do people help others?  How many times have you heard the circle theory?  If you want nice things to happen to you then you have to do nice things for others.  Have you ever heard of that?  We may even innocently buy into it.  Some say that by helping others; you are building up “credits” so that someday we will benefit from it.  Whether we like to view it that way or not, that is a very selfish act.  The only reason we help is so that someday, if we need it, we will get help. 

    In this sinful world, man has turned from God and looks inward only to himself.  Down through the years, we have seen where banding together helps to protect me from others.  This is called self-preservation.  Notice the emphasis on self.  Yet throughout Scriptures; Jesus calls this stand into question.  When the rich man turned away because Jesus called on him to give his money to the poor, he turned away.  He wanted his own interests over the interests of the poor.  When Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, we often balk because of self-preservation.  Yet the true irony is that you and I have life because Jesus was the exact opposite of self-preservation.  He laid down his life so that you may live.

    In doing this Jesus is beginning the process of restoring mankind to its true purpose; to love one another.  He is restoring the creation to its perfection.  His death and resurrection mark the start and his return will mark the completion.  Through it all, we are called to love, just as He loves.  Do we do this perfectly?  No, but that shouldn’t stop us from trying.  That should not stop us from loving our neighbor; this is the greatest gift, the greatest purpose that we have.  We are to love for this love will last an eternity and the impact of our love for others can be life altering.   The best gift is love because we share with others and serve God as we do.

Dearest Father, we are only selfish children until you redeem us.  Bring us into your marvelous light of salvation and keep us as your dear children, serving you as your hands and your arms in this world. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret       

2-2-2019

 Good Morning All,

               Matthew 22:39; “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

     We were together for a little community building and community improvement morning.  We were working at our little ballfield adding some fencing, fixing the bleachers, spiffing up the concession stand and the like.  We would spend a couple hours in the morning and then cook up brats and hot dogs from the stand and have fun.  It was great last time we did and looked to be great this time as a few of the ladies brought fresh salads and a community picnic was in store.  Everyone was laughing and joking and just having fun.  Well almost everyone.  One couple apparently was continuing a conversation that may have started at home.  It was a little “chippy” to say the least.

    I don’t know how many noticed; not many I hope.  I noticed because I happened up behind them while they were putting the fence on the posts.  They were pointing out how crooked the other one’s was and how they had missed the staple and dinged the wood and so on and so on.  The husband finally said something about having to redo all the wife’s nailing.  She threw down her hammer and stormed off telling him, “why, it’s straighter then yours!”

    It is kind of strange how, when we want to attack, we often compare.  It is almost as if that is the default thought of sinful man.  I am better than you are.  I have more money, I have a more prestigious job, I farm more land, I am taller, I am faster, I am in better shape, the list goes on and on; all in an attempt to make ourselves greater.  We even use false markers to identify weaknesses in the other person.  We use race, creed, hair color, school which they attended and just about anything else we can find.  We don’t even need to be greater; we just need to make the other person smaller, just so we look bigger.  

    This sinful nature is destructive on so many different levels; it is clear why the devil likes to use it.  We demean the other person and cause them to doubt their value.  We reduce our value by revealing a hateful and bitter part of us.  The relationship between two people who only attack each other is always toxic and lacking compassion and trust.  This is why Jesus tells us the second part of God’s law is to love your neighbor as yourself.

    The first is to love God above everything.  The second is to be the reaction and completion of the first.  Because we love God, we should love to do his will which is to care for the creation and all the creatures in it (that includes us.) This service of love, that is doing something that benefits your neighbor, thus brings about the totality of God’s law.  It finishes the circle of life; loving God by serving our neighbor.  This is the purpose we exist and this is where we will find contentment.

Father of mercy, bring us into your loving arms and strengthen us to love one another.  You have given us and shown us your perfect love.  Instill in us a desire to live in your wondrous kingdom.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

2-1-2019

Good Morning All,

         Hebrews 13:5; “Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.”

    Now that my grandchildren are getting a little older I am introducing them to the real cartoons like “Underdog”, “Roger Ramjet”, “Tom and Jerry” just to name a few.  Now I can watch them and not have someone ask me if I don’t think I am a little old to be watching cartoons; now it is just quality time with my grandkids.

    When you watch “Tom and Jerry”, there is always one part of the cartoon where something causes Tom (the cat) to think he is facing a giant mouse.  Sometimes it is really a baby kangaroo or some such other critter but it always sends him into a wild, wide-eyed, panic attack.  I remember one episode where he was being beaten up by this oversized mouse and he was just getting over his jitters when Jerry (the mouse) was trying to sneak past him in a room lit up by a flashlight.  As the mouse walked past the flashlight, the shadow on the wall was enormous and Tom went into a jittery panic.  He looked at the shadow and was terrorized; he should have looked at the mouse and seen a tiny creature.

    Our life can be that way.  There are many times when we look at the shadow and think the problem is insurmountable.  We let little things grow and grow until we cannot handle them.  Yet, if we are honest, we are like Mark Twain who once said, “I am an old man who has known many worries, most of which never happened.”  Most worries don’t materialize; they only existed in our mind and in our fears but not in our reality.

    The devil says, “look at the shadow!!”  God says, “look at the mouse.”  God invites us to see that the struggles and problems of this world, which we will experience, are not greater than His love for us.  Nothing in all of creation will separate us from God’s love.  This is a recurring voice throughout Scriptures.  God tells the Children of Israel this when they are about to enter the Promised land.  He told this to Joshua, He told this to King David, He told this to the Israelites when they were in captivity, he tells this to us.  God will not abandon you; never will it happen.  We may lose sight of God; this occurs often when the devil and our sinful nature convinces us to look at how big that shadow is but God keeps telling us, “look at the mouse; it’s not that big.”       

    So, whatever you face, whatever challenge, God encourages you to look at the size of the mouse, then look at the size of God’s love, then know where your comfort truly should lie.  It is not in my skill or my faith.  It is not in your skill or your faith.  It lies in the abundance of God’s mercy and His grace.  It is revealed to us in Jesus.  Stay focused on Him and all your struggles will be the mice they are and not the shadow that they are not.

Father of all grace, keep me mindful of your mercy and the love that you have for me.  Remind me that you have overcome all things, even death, through Jesus.  We know our hope and we know our future.  Defend us by your loving hands.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret