11-4-2019

Good Morning All,

   Acts 17:32: “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”

    It can be interesting when a group of preachers get together to study and discuss certain stories or passages in the Bible.  One of those stories is the one which our verse for today ends.  Paul goes to Athens and there he preaches a sermon which some title “To the Unknown God.”  The Athenians had erected statues to various gods and in order to not offend any of the gods they thought existed; they put up a statue to the unknown god.  Paul took that and then introduced them to this unknown god.  This was how he introduced Jesus and his resurrection from the dead to this Athenian audience.  As our verse shows; some thought it foolishness and some were curious.

    Sometimes, a homiletical review of this sermon finds this sermon lacking.  Paul doesn’t follow what many consider proper foundational work or proper balance or even a good conclusion.  It just seems to ramble on and on.  Because of these “shortcomings”; some view this as one of Paul’s poorest sermons.  I always tend to disagree.  I think it is a fantastic sermon, not because of what Paul says but because of what the listeners said.

    I made the following observation to the man I was sitting by at a preacher’s conference.  We were in a room with 75-80 preachers.  In that room, literally thousands of sermons had been preached.  Many had heard, “Great sermon Pastor!” “Wonderful message, Pastor!” “Excellent word, Pastor!” but I would venture that not too many had heard, “I would like to hear more about this.”  I think that is the greatest compliment to any sermon, conversation, act of kindness, or witness of faith; “I would like to hear more about this.”

    This phrase means the listener is engages to what was said to him or what had occurred around him.  Wanting to continue the conversation with someone we are talking to is a great step forward.  It means the Spirit is at work.  “I want to hear more” comes from a person who is hungering for the truth.  He may have received a taste of this truth in a sermon on Sunday morning or from watching a Christian act with love to another person.  There are lots of ways that the message of the Gospel is introduced to someone.  It can be through your Christian charity and kindness that someone sees or experiences; it can be through a sermon, great or poor, that someone hears but no greater response will ever be heard than “I would like to hear more about this.”

    So, if you ever get this response; don’t let go!  Speak honestly and if it gets to hard tell them; “I need to figure out the best answer for you.”  Whatever you do, keep the conversations going as best you can.  The Spirit is using you to reach that person; don’t be afraid, rejoice in God’s gift through you!

Father, help me to be prepared to speak.  Guide me by your Spirit to trust in your care and mercy.  Use my voice to speak to those who want to listen.  Hold me close to you that I may not fear but boldly confess the name of Jesus.  In his precious name we pray, amen.   

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

11-3-2019

Good Morning All,

   1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18; “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

    We are approaching the time of year that many view as the holiday season.  It can get a little hectic for the next few weeks.  We seem to try and put as much activity in these next few weeks as we do the next few months after them.  Parties, meals, events with friends, relatives, and work mates clog our calendar.  Being the wistful curmudgeon, I am always curious why someone doesn’t have a Thanksgiving dinner in July or August.  Now I know you are going to think that Thanksgiving Day isn’t in July.  This is true but it should be.

    The verse portion we have today is actually the ending of a little longer set of instructions that Paul is giving to the Thessalonian Christian.  He tells them to encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, get along with each other; all of this is the will of God for us yet we tend to focus on these final three the most.  Rejoice, pray and give thanks!!  These are truly the will of God.

    As Paul writes this, very few, if any, of the new converts to Christianity have an easy life.  Many are slaves and former slaves, some are women of little, if any, standing, some are wealthy but they will face ridicule, rejection and possible persecution for their faith so his entreaty here seems somewhat out of whack.  Yet his encouragement is just what we need to hear.

   We rejoice because our joy, our true joy, is not found in the situation that we may find ourselves in at this exact moment; our joy is in the truth that God has made us his own through the blood of Jesus.  The ebb and flow of life, the rise and fall of fortunes, the ups and downs of life can never overcome or replace the love of Christ which lifts us up to heights of wonder and glory through his grace and mercy.

    We pray because our communication with our heavenly Father is vital to keep us focused on his love for us.  God grants us peace, comfort and hope but the devil does everything he can to cause us to look away and to see only the darkness and not the light.  Prayer helps us to remember who speaks the truth and who creates, redeems and sustains us.

   We give thanks, in all things, because it leads us to remember the care, compassion and love that God has so richly displayed for us in the past.  We remember how he delivered us before and we can be confident that he will deliver us again this time.  We may experience pain but we can always see beyond the pain and see our loving Savior waiting for us with open arms, a gentle voice and a warm embrace.  God has always been faithful to us before and he will be faithful to us tomorrow.

   So give thanks, always remembering what God is doing for you and rejoice that his love is always showered upon you, even in the toughest times, Jesus death and resurrection gives us hope.

Father we give you thanks for our salvation in Jesus.  Guard our hearts and keep our eyes ever focused on your love.  Encourage those who are fainthearted at this time.  Strengthen them by your Spirit.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

11-2-2019

Good Morning All,

   Isaiah 61: 1-2; “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,”

    I was returning from a visit when I heard the song on the radio.  It is an “oldie but a goodie” as the saying goes.  Granted, it is more than 35 years but it still speaks the words that our hearts often feel “We sure could use a little good news today.”  That is the tag line of Anne Murray’s 1983 song “A little Good News”.

    It always fascinates me when I listen to these types of songs, songs that lament the condition of our society that it really doesn’t matter how old the song is; it basically could be sung today.  Outside of dating the song by the names used “Bryant Gumbel is talking about fighting in Lebanon” could be “Savanah Guthrie is talking about fighting in Syria”; it feels like it is truly the same song second verse, could be better but will probably be worse.  We could use a little good news today.

    I have good news for you; you are a redeemed child of God to whom eternal life in the perfected creation has been promised.  Every day there are people who hear this good news and are lifted up from the poverty of their spirit and given hope.  Every day relationships are trying to heal because those two or three people sat down and prayed before they talked about their troubles.  Every day people who have enslaved themselves to pettiness and selfishness are being freed by the grace of Jesus.  Every day there is a recovering addict who has made it one more day from being bound by the addiction that once had them so bound that they did not know which way was up.  Every day, Jesus matters.  Every day, you matter to Jesus.

    So take heart, Jesus has won it all and it will come to completion when he returns.  So be thankful where and when you can.  God is doing wonderful things around you and for you if you will only stop and look.  It might be the love of a spouse or a child or a grandchild; it might be a visit from a friend; it might be in the fellowship of your fellow believers but God is doing something good for you today.  The devil and the world want you to look down and see only the dirt and the narrow view.  God invites you to look up and see the glory of his creation and the grace of his hand.  We have a lot of good news; we have Jesus!

    So when you go to church tomorrow, don’t lament the empty pews; celebrate the full ones.  Don’t be disheartened by the 15 people who skipped Bible study; give thanks for the 6 who shared together with you.  In both these situations, God’s love, forgiveness, peace and hope were shared with you and those around you.  God good news goes out; it never comes back empty but always accomplishes it goal.  A little good news, we can fill a library with our good news!  Jesus is Lord and he has given us the victory!

Gracious Father, your good news goes forth bringing hope to those who hear it.  Lift up your people and give them the vision to see your hand and your grace in their lives.  Be with those who are struggling to see; encourage them with your Spirit.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

11-1-2019

Good Morning All,

          Acts 16:31; “And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

    Do you believe?  This can be a very common but also tricky question.  Do you believe and what exactly does that mean to you?  “I believe I will have another hot dog.”  Well that doesn’t really hit the meaning but we say it (maybe not the hot dog part but you get the idea).  Do you believe?  That is always the question and the answer that the Bible gives.  Do you believe or do you have faith is always the process through which Jesus acts.  He will ask the person “do you believe” and then when he heals them he tells them “your faith has made you well.”   So how do we understand this question?  Do you believe?

    In our world today, many people see the act of believing as simply a mental exercise.  It is an acknowledgement that the understanding they have and some of the facts (or opinions) for their belief.  So, you may have a favorite sports team and you “believe” they will win the championship.  Yet even this does not approach what the Bible means when it talks about believing.  Do you believe?

    Most of us regularly speak one of the creeds during our worship service.  “I believe” we state with all seriousness but what do we mean?  I think for many people the idea of believing is more like saying, “this is what I know about this person called God.”  I know he is the creator who has a son named Jesus who is the redeemer and then the Holy Spirit is winging around to work with me.  This is the sum of what I know about God.  Yet this falls short because by this standard, you can believe in many different gods.  You could believe in the Roman or Greek gods because you have knowledge of them.  “Do you believe”; goes much deeper.

    To believe means we are stating, “This is the standard by which I live.”  When we say “I believe” we are saying that this truth that I have confessed as being the truth is the one and only standard that will mold, shape, guide and measure my life.  “I believe” is a transformative statement.  By stating we believe in Jesus, we are confessing Him as our Lord and Savior and thus we will live our life in accordance to his will.  We do not force him to change but rather we change.  We leave our sinful selfishness and strive for his standard of sacrificial love.  “I believe” means we are different from the world that does not believe.  “I believe” means that we are submitting our will and our life to service to Jesus.  To believe has to be more than a mental exercise; to believe means to live according to your confession.

    This is why the Bible often speaks of a person’s actions when they are being judged.  The way you live is the way you believe.  If you truly believe in Jesus you will act that way; if you do not believe then that will show as well.  Do you believe?  What you live is your true confession.  Let it be for Jesus!

Gracious Father, give us faith!  Lead us to believe that we may be your servants and thus proclaim your love for your creation through our lives.  Defend us when we are attacked and heal us when we are broken.  Deliver us from evil.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-31-2019

 Good Morning All,

   John 15:15; “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

    It is always funny to listen to people; especially when there is something interesting going on.  Someone has a cousin in the sheriff’s department while someone else has a brother who is on the county commission.  All of this will give us the “true, inside information”.  We can know the “real facts” because we know someone, you know, important.  It gets even better when we need something and we “know” someone who can make it easier or quicker or, best of all, cheaper.  We all like to know someone, or better, have a friend in a position of some authority that we can call on when we need a little extra help.

    Garth Brooks liked his friends in low places but most of us want a friend in a high place; a place of power and influence.  We want someone who can take the time and the effort to help us in some difficult or perplexing situation.  It might be as simple as a friend with a pickup truck to help us haul something to someone who understands some confusing zoning law or someone who can get us cheap seats on an airplane or an introduction to someone famous.   We like friends in high places.

    This is what we have in Jesus; we have a friend in the highest place of all, at God’s right hand.  We have an “in” as in we have someone who is pleading our case before God.  We have someone who is serving as our high priest, praying for us at all times.  We have a friend who understands our struggles, the everyday battles that wear us down and beat us up.  We have that friend, the one who always knows when we are sad or worried.  Yet this friend can actually do something about it.  He comes to us in His Word to give us hope.  He came to this world to give his life that we might have eternal life.  Now that is a true friend!

    This friend now is seated at the right hand of God and has been given the name to which every knee shall bow.  This greatest of all King of kings is our friend.  He wants us to succeed; he wants us to live with him and share with him in his eternal kingdom.  He has promised us this wonderful gift.  While we wait for this gift to come to completion, he gives us the peace to always know that He is with us; to defend us from the wiles and cunning of the devil.  Jesus offers us the hope of eternal Sabbath, a rest that restores and refreshes us; all this from a friend, and not just any friend, but from our greatest friend.  All of this we receive because of his great love for us. 

    Jesus came to give us life, hope, peace, comfort and love; this is the definition of what a friend will do for those whom he loves.  This is Jesus; this is your savior!

Gracious Lord Jesus, we thank you for being our friend.  We thank you for coming into this world to redeem us and bring us into your holy family.  Keep us ever safe in your arms and defend us we pray.  Be with those who are especially vulnerable at this time.  Give them your Holy Spirit to defend.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-30-2019

        Good Morning All, 

    Luke 22: 31-32a; “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”

    “Sift you like wheat.”  This is a reference to how farmers at the time of Jesus would finish the harvest of wheat.  First the farmer would go out into the fields and with a scythe cut down the wheat and stack it into bundles which were then carried up to the thrashing floor.  Here the farmer would take the bundles and then beat them against the floor in order to loosen the kernels of wheat.  After they did this, they would then take a winnowing fork and throw the wheat, chaff, broken straw mixture into the air.  The wheat would fall to the floor as the chaff would blow away in the wind. 

    This was a rigorous process.  Yet, in the end, all you have is kernels of wheat but it can be a very, very stressful event especially on the wheat.  It gets thrown up into the air and then crashes to the floor only to be tossed up into the air again.  It is a trying and tumultuous event for the wheat but it is necessary to separate the wheat (the necessary part) from the chaff (the waste).  This also happens in our life, sometimes very painfully.

    Many of you have experienced being sifted.  There are times in our lives when our faith is shaken to the very core.  The death of a child will rock you like an earthquake.  Sometimes, the stress from our everyday life shakes us.  Health issues in our family, especially big ones, can really shake you.  Placing a parent or a spouse in a nursing home can make you shudder.  Having your job disappear can be devastating.  Having the company that you worked for all your life suddenly go bankrupt and take your retirement with them can really hurt.  Put two or three of these together and you are sifted.

    When being sifted our confidence can be shaken.  One thing that it does is that it can cause us to seek our god.  Luther defines a god as “That from which we seek our ultimate source of security, that which we cling to with all our heart.”  So, what is your god?  Is it your money, your intellect, your spouse, your parents, your government, just plain you?  What is your god?  Because when we get sifted, the chaff all the false gods, blow away in the wind.  Finally, we are left with only the kernels.  Only the true God, Yahweh the triune God, is left and that is all we can cling to.

    So, we cling to the God who died for us, we cling to the God that redeemed us and we cling to the God that loves us and promises to never forget us.  So, if you are being sifted, pray for God’s grace, talk to your brothers and sisters in Christ and remember who your only source of hope and security is and that is Christ.  You will be sifted, maybe many times, but through them all God holds you close and protects you from the devil and his attacks.

Father, we often feel sifted.  Protect us from all that the devil throws at us and keep us safe.  Give us the certainty of your hope, the certainty of your grace and the wonder of your comforting Spirit.  Be with those who are currently being sifted.  Give them the consolation they need and the comfort of your saving grace.  In Jesus precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-29-2019

Good Morning All, 

    Ephesians 2:8; “God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God”

    Everyone loves to receive gifts.  We look forward to receiving items from our loved ones.  It can be things as simple as a card or a flower.  When our sons were little, we used to wrap up socks and t-shirts at Christmas time so they would have a few more presents under the tree.  They were excited about them.  We all love to receive presents and some are especially meaningful.

     Many years ago, my in-laws gave me a hand-crafted chess board.  It was made by an older member of our church out of the wood from the trees that grew around his farm.  This older member died a couple of years later.  This gift is special because of who gave it and who made it.  Another special gift I have received is from my father.  He gave me the pocket watch my grandfather received when he was confirmed.  I keep this in a special place and hope to give it to my grandson when he is confirmed.  Yet the most precious gift that I have ever received is the love and companionship of my wife of over 35 years.  It is the best gift I have.  I need it and rely on it each day.  Even at those times when I don’t treasure it as I should, it is irreplaceable.  

    Some gifts we receive and we treasure them.  Some we toss away and some we hide in the closet.  So how do you view your salvation?  Being saved is a gift from God but do you truly appreciate it?

    Do you take that gift and use it every day, relish it, cherish it and rely on it all the time?  Do you take it and place it on the shelf of your closet, out of sight and out of mind?  This is a choice we have.  God’s salvation is a tremendous gift; it gives to us each day.  God’s salvation brings us into God’s family, reconciling us back to him.  We receive his love, his comfort; he listens to us and gives us hope even at those times when we don’t treasure it as we should.  God gives us this faith to trust his salvation to allow us to cope with each day. 

    The devil and our own sinful nature loves to drag us down and to see our life as empty and without meaning or hope but God uses our faith to encourage us, to help us see and understand that we are his children, loved by a gracious God.  This is a gift that keeps giving but only helps us today if we use it today.  Too often we think of God’s grace and salvation as being good when we die; the truth is God’s grace is there for you right now; there is no need to wait.  It provides for us this very minute.

    It is also a gift which, when you possess it, you should share it with those whom you love.  Share with them the certainty of salvation, the comfort for today and the promise of tomorrow.

Gracious Father, you give to us the greatest gift through your Son Jesus.  You give us life and hope.  Give us the wisdom to use this gift every day.  Give us the presence to trust this wonderful gift and to keep it precious in our life.  Lead us to share this gift with those around us, especially those most in need of your care.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret