4-14-2025

Good Morning All,

Luke 19:39-40; “And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

    This is a short ending to the story of Jesus and his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  There were a few Pharisees there to observe Jesus.  The people were praising God and calling Jesus the Messiah.  The Pharisees told Jesus to tell them to be quiet.  They may have been jealous of Jesus.  They may have felt that what was going on was blasphemous.  They may have feared that this kind of talk in the crowded city, full of religious Jews for the Passover, might spill into a riot and bring down the full fury of Rome.  For whatever reason, the Pharisees didn’t want to see this parade go on.

    Here we see an interesting juncture in our story.  We see one parade, but we see two reactions.  Some of the people were praising God and calling Jesus the Messiah.  On the other side of the street, we have the Pharisees trying to put an end to it.  Isn’t that the way it always seems to occur?  There is always someone opposing Jesus; there is always someone on the other side.

    Much of this relates back to when Jesus was in the wilderness and tempted by Satan.  If you remember that incident, you may also remember the chilling end in Luke: “he (the devil) departed from him until an opportune time.”  This may have been one of those opportune times.  Jesus’ entry to this celebration would have been a heady experience; ask anyone who has been cheered when their name is announced.  Perhaps the devil wanted this parade to change routes or be a different parade.

    This is an experience which we, as followers of Christ, can experience as well.  The devil will use someone to try and impact our parade, our journey following Christ.  It might be someone in your church who means well but always seems to cause a ruckus about all sorts of stuff which really has no meaning.  We started the morning singing God’s praises together in unity and now we are split and bickering over nothing; our parade is going the wrong route.  Maybe it is that person who you work with who is kind to you and listens and agrees that “your spouse doesn’t understand anymore.”  Soon your vows of faithfulness begin to wane, and you are heading down the wrong parade route.

     Sometimes we see our life just spin out of control; health, wealth, friendships, family can disappear in a blink of an eye.  Somewhere, in the back of our mind, the devil whispers,” it is all God’s fault” and we are heading down the wrong parade route.  Maybe we just slid into a comfortable stage of “not needing church” and “all the religion stuff.”  Our attendance slides: our prayer life dries up and soon we are in the wrong parade.

     The parade that Jesus leads goes to heaven and this is the only parade that does.  All the other parades are the wrong ones.  Yet we take great comfort in the knowledge that Jesus died for us and gives to us the safety of following him on his parade.  We need only follow him, trust him to guide us to our heavenly home.  You are in a parade; be sure it is the right one.

 

Dearest Lord Jesus, you rode into Jerusalem to bring about the defeat of death and the devil.  Then you gave that victory to us.  We give you thanks and ask that you aid us as we travel in our parade to follow you as we go.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-13-2025

Good Morning All,

       Isaiah 53:5; “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”

    Have you ever had someone make a promise and then fail to deliver?  The first time that someone does that can really leave an impression.  A little bit of trust leaves you.  For most of us, the first time that you break a promise to a child, no matter how small to you can be as devastating to us as it is to the child.  You see the look on their face, and you know that you will never stand as tall in his eyes again.  As we grow older, we experience this betrayal or breach of trust with more frequency.  Each time we experience it, we become a little more jaded, our heart a little more hardened.  It is like each little cut that scars over and becomes denser and having less feeling. 

   A broken trust causes much turmoil in our life.  Many people who experience a painful breach may have a difficult time trusting again.  It can take many forms.  If you share a confidence or a fear with someone only to have it become gossip fodder, you are slower to openly share next time.  A trust is broken, and a breach is formed.  This breach is like a gully forming between you.  It gets wider and deeper, and you and the other person are pushed farther and farther apart.

   One definition of transgression is just that.  It means to break a trust.  It means to make a breach in a relationship.  It can best be thought of in terms of relationships, especially like that of a marriage vow.  It is a most sacred trust that we pledge to be faithful to one and to only one and if that trust is broken, fixing it is difficult at best.  We transgressed against God.  We were unfaithful.  We broke that trust by seeking false gods.  Those false gods took many forms: greed, selfishness, anger, lust, or callousness to our neighbor.  These all show the effects of a broken trust, a breach of our faithfulness.  How does one ever get past this?  You and I may not but God does.

    This is what the phrase “wounded for our transgressions” means.  Jesus suffered and died because you and I were unfaithful to God.  We broke the trust, the faith, but God healed it.  Every whip mark, every beating, every moment on the cross was to fix that breach between man and God.  God filled the gully in with every drop of sweat and blood that Jesus expired.

    The difficult thing for us to understand is that as we respond to this event, we should not respond out of guilt or sadness.  We should see beyond this and see this for what it truly is.  It is an act of incredible love.  Jesus’ selfless actions, his willingness to die for us should cause to respond with the same type of love for God and for our fellow man.  Lent, Good Friday and Easter are not about guilt, they are about immeasurable love.  The God who loves you, the God who got his hands dirty for you comes to you with the love of a father beyond our ability to comprehend.  So, as we go through this coming Holy Week; see it through the eyes of joy, aware of the cost, yet seeing the love of the Father.  Then relish in it for by his love our transgressions are gone.

Dear Father in heaven, we come before your throne seeing your wondrous mercy.  All our sins are gone, our debt is paid.  You bring us back to you every time we break that trust with you loving kindness.  Continue to pour out on us your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-12-2025

Good Morning All,

   Ecclesiastes 4: 9-11; “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.  For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?  And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

    This is a longer passage than we usually use.  It just doesn’t work to break it up.  I love what this says to us.  Many will use this as a passage for a wedding.  We focus on the idea that a threefold cord will not quickly break to mean that a husband and a wife that are bound together “through, with and under” (Lutheran alert!!) Jesus is in their marriage.  We see Jesus as the true strength of a marriage and not each other.

    I would like to go in a little different direction.  Many of us in this country suffer from “boot-strap-ism.” We look for a story, somewhere in our life, where we overcame tremendous odds and struggled, persevered, and then claimed the prize.  At some point in our life, we want to get the credit for what we have and who we are.  Remember walking to school in waist deep snow, six miles, uphill, both ways and we were thankful for what we had.  We want the glory.

    The problem with that story is that it is not real.  “I” did not do anything; “we” did everything.  “We” being those of us who are claimed by God as his redeemed children.  God redeems us, declares that He is our God, and we are his people, and finally, He promises to bless us; what part of that is “me”?  Two are better than one; one will fall and not be able to get up and there is no one to lift him up.  “Lift him up” is an interesting phrase.  Jesus was “lifted up” on the cross as the sacrifice for us. 

    This passage speaks to the idea that we are a “people.”  We are not just a collection of single people who meet at the same time to do the same thing as individuals; we are God’s holy, wholly, people; we are one big unit.  We can look at this with the idea of a herd of animals being hunted by a pack of predators.  What does the lion want to do?  He seeks to separate a weak one from the herd.  It is safe in the herd; it is lost on its own.  You and I are safe when we remain in the faith, when we remain in the Church.  This is why it is critical that we understand that our faith is not just an example of “me and God.”  There is a place for an individual faith, but we are part of a greater thing; we are part of God’s family, holy and redeemed.

    This is the promise that he made to us. He promised to be with us and to protect us through His Spirit.  He promised to nourish us by his grace through His Word and His sacraments.  God has promised to be with you.  That is the two-cord and by placing you in the church you become part of the three-cord; that cord that is hard to break.

Dear Father, keep us in your covenant grace which is eternal for us.  Guard us, redeem us and bring us to you that we may know your comfort and your strength against all we face.  Be with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing the lions that are trying to separate them from your love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret                

4-11-2025

 Good Morning All,

   Philemon 1:7; “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”

    I am a child of the 1970’s.  Now there are some really weird things about the 70’s which remain as cruel tricks to us: mood rings, pet rocks, lots of hair, disco, leisure suits (oy!!) just to name a few.  But we also had some cool songs.  Most were light and just kind of lie in the back of your mind.  Sometimes, they come back as theme songs for TV shows.

   One of those songs is the theme to the “Golden Girls.”  You can hear it in the back of your head can’t you: 

                                                 Thank you for being a friend
                                         Traveled down the road and back again
                                   your heart is true you're a pal and a confidant!

 

This little tune goes a long way to show what Paul was writing about to Philemon in our verse.  “The hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you;” isn’t that how we would like to have a friend greet us one time when we meet?  You have refreshed me.  “You have lifted me up from the depths of my sorrow and renewed my hope and vigor” (Maj. Winchester on MASH) 

   Over the course of some of these devotions, I keep stressing to us that we are not single individuals facing the world on our own.  God has promised to be with us; to have his presence with us; to guard us and then to lead us on.  He does this in a spiritual way by reminding you of the Scriptures that you have read and know.  This is why it is important to “read, mark, learn and take to heart” the Words of the Bible.  This is how God usually speaks to us.  Usually, God does not speak to us like we speak to the guy down the road.  He uses the Words already spoken to reveal his message to us.

    Yet, God also speaks to us by using the elements of the created world.  He uses family and friends, even people who are barely acquaintances to bring you hope.  In my own life, it never ceases to amaze me how, “at just the right time,” I will get a card or letter or email from someone who offers a word of encouragement.  The lift is incredible. Sometimes it takes a friend to lift you up.  So, when you need a friend look for him and if you have a friend who needs one, be that friend.      
    One other thing that helps is to verbalize it.  When people come to me with a problem, trying to get them to say what it is can be half the battle.  Even if I know what the problem is, I want them to say it.  When we say the problem out loud, the problem suddenly gets smaller, and we can begin to see ways to address it.  The same is true in our prayer life.  Tell God what is hurting you.  This is for your benefit not his.  This is one way which God uses to let you see that the problem is smaller than God.  Sometimes, we really need to remember that.  It isn’t that God needs to hear our fears; we need to hear them.  Take the power that these fears have over us away and see God’s grace truly at work in our lives.

Dear Father, as we go through life it is filled with danger, pain, and sorrow.  If we did not have your love to sustain us, all would be lost.  Keep us in your arms, protect us and give us hope.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-10-2025

Good Morning All,

   Luke 15:20; “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” 

    This is a verse from the Parable of the Prodigal Son; I would encourage you to read all of chapter 15.  Note a few things as you do.  In the start of the chapter, notice that the original audience is the Pharisees.  Then note verses 7 and 10.  Then remember that the word “prodigal” means wasteful.

    As we read this parable, who is the prodigal son?  Almost everyone will say it is the younger son because he takes the money and blows it.  As you can probably guess, I don’t really buy that.  One of the reasons is that we assume that the most valuable thing we have is our earthly possessions.  We see this young man as wasteful because of money or stuff.  This parable, like the other two, is about relationships and not about ownership.

    There is almost universal acceptance that the father in the parable is God the Father.  In our single verse notice how the father runs and has compassion for his son and embraces him and celebrates.  The older brother has nothing to do with it.  In the first two short parables there is joy at the rejoining of the relationships.  But in this parable, there is no joy mentioned.

    The most important things in our lives are our relationships with God and with each other.  This parable speaks volumes to this.  How many times do we waste relationships because we spend our energy, our desire and passion, on stuff and not people?  Instead of desiring to spend time with our children or spouses or friends, we spend in pursuit of temporal things. We put things and stuff ahead of our loved ones and ahead of God.

   As we observe Good Friday today, pay attention to what God was willing to give up in order to keep a relationship with you.  The Son of God willingly left all the glory of heaven to die on a cross.  He did this because he loves us and wants us to have that perfect and holy relationship with him.  He also wants us to have a loving and joyful relationship with each other.  One that is based, not on stuff, but on the desire to live together in harmony and in worship of God: together. 

    Too many look at the cross and feel a ton of guilt.  Look at the cross and see the love of the Father who would give anything to run to you and greet you with compassion.  Look at the cross and hear God calling you, inviting you into the celebration.  Look at the cross and see a father who spared no expense for you, holds no accounts payable over you, who demands no sacrifice or payment from you; He only offers us his incomprehensible love.  Grab hold of the Father as he greets you with that hug.  Then go out to your family and friends; let the house be messed up for a little while, the lawn will be there later but rejoice and celebrate in the relationships which God has given you in order that you might enjoy this life more fully.

Dearest Father, so many times have you come running after me as I stray while on my journey.  Forgive me, Father, for the poor way I treat your love and the poor way I keep my relationships strong.  All this we asked in the name of our Crucified Lord, amen.    

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-9-2025

Good Morning All,

   1 Corinthians 15: 56-57; “The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

    I watched an old western movie the other night.  It had Walter Brennan in it.  He was a crusty, retired army scout who was helping the star of the movie try to get 100 repeating rifles to a distant fort.  Everyone was trying to steal the guns and then turn around and sell them.  First it was some scavenger type guys.  Then it was some of the men in his command and finally it was a party of Indian raiders.  Of course, Walter Brennan’s character knew the Indian chief and could speak to him.

    As the final battle with the Indians raged, many of the army members were getting shot and dying.  The army was trying to keep the weapons from the Indians, but it looked bleak.  Just as the Indians were about to capture the guns, out came Walter Brennan.  He had filed all the firing pins of the guns so the guns would not shoot.  Seeing that the guns were worthless, the Indians rode away.  The army failed to get the guns, but the army kept the guns away from an enemy who planned on using those guns against them.  The weapons no longer worked so the value of the gun was nothing.

   Our text tells us this same truth.  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  After Jesus died and rose again, the “firing pin” of sin is gone.  It is the pain of eternal death which gives death its sting.  But with Christ’s victory over the grave and with his glorious resurrection, the tomb that once sealed us in is now only a door for us.  In the blink of an eye, the world changed.  In the blink of an eye, we enter into his heavenly kingdom.

    The sting and power are gone; the joy and grace are here to stay. With Jesus’ victory over the grave, a victory which he lovingly gives to us, we are guaranteed salvation.  With Christ’s victory we can loudly cry, “O death where is your victory?  O death where is your sting?”  We are assured of victory.

    We can take comfort and hope in this statement.  We have victory because of Jesus. No matter what the world throws at you, not matter what trouble or pain you may feel; God is there to save us.  We will always be victorious!  It may be on the other side of the grave, but we enter it knowing that there is no sting to harm us.  So, as we look forward to celebrating this Easter season, we can take hope in our victory, won by Christ and freely given to us. Jesus won the victory and has given it to you. We are in the loving arms of our magnificent Savior who gives us life, hope, peace, and eternal salvation.

 Dearest Father in heaven, to you alone goes all glory.  Be with us and defend us from the power of the devil and his ways.  Protect us with your mighty hand.  Receive us into your blessed kingdom.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-8-2025

Good Morning All,

     Matthew 27:50; “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”

    I was watching a movie a few days ago. It was a western that was set in the desert country. Our hero was crossing the desert and, of course, ran out of water. Soon his horse dies from no water, so he has to walk. He trudges through the sand, falling down, crawling at times, almost delirious. He falls down behind a scrub brush and passes out. He wakes up the next morning and he hears voices. He peers through the brush and sees a wagon train. He calls for help, but his throat is so parched and his voice so raspy, he can barely make any noise. He is too weak to move and cannot make enough noise to be heard. The wagons are getting ready to leave but fortunately for our hero, one of the dogs finds him and rescues him.   

    Matthew tells us that Jesus cried out in a loud voice. I always find that interesting, why did he include that? Why is this fact important? I think it is important because of how Jesus was killed. He was crucified. This is a hideous way to die. You actually drown. By the way, the arms are outstretched, you do not breathe properly; you don’t exhale. When we exhale, we not only send out spent air, but we also send out moisture. So, the moisture fills our lungs, and you slowly drown. You also lose the ability to make any sound because you cannot expel air with enough force to move your vocal cords with any force. A person who is crucified would barley make a sound at the end. Yet Jesus cries out in a loud voice, how?

    Over the next couple of weeks, I hope you read or listen to the passion narrative. Jesus is arrested, he is beaten, whipped, mocked, and ultimately killed. Pay attention as you read or hear this and remember, Jesus is always in control. At no point in time is anything happening that he is not allowing. This is part of what John was saying when he quotes Jesus as saying, “no one takes my life from me, but I lay it down.” This is Matthew’s version of that. Jesus is putting an end to this. He has finished the task for which he came to do, that is to die for our sins. So, he lays down his life and cries out in a loud voice, “It is finished” (including John’s version.)

    Jesus was always in control, and he still is. Even when it looked like the devil was winning as the scribes mocked him and the soldiers spit on him, Jesus was always in control. We can find great comfort in this. There is a lot going on where you might wonder, who is in charge of this ride? We can rest assured, Jesus is, and his voice can be heard loud and clear, if you listen. When we read the Scriptures and take them to heart, we hear Jesus speaking to us, in a loud voice drowning out the voices of fear, despair, and hopelessness. We have hope, we do not have to fear; we are called to trust.

    It can be hard; the devil yells his lies loudly. But the truth of salvation brings us home. Jesus wins and he gives that victory to us, and we can hold onto this truth a tightly as we can to rest in his loving arms.

Father of all mercies, draw us into your loving arms and keep us save. Guide us by your Spirit to walk only with You so that we may walk in peace and hope. Defend all who are embattled by the devil. Keep them as the apple of your eye. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

 Pastor Bret