1-26-2015

        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 flower pots, 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 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, “Timmy, 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 loves 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      

1-25-2015

        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.  Watchman 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 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            

1-24-2015

 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.”

    These past couple of days, my wife and I 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 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 so 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     

1-23-2015

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 half way.  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 devil 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