5-18-2019

      Good Morning All,

    Psalm 57:1; “Have pity on me, O God. Have pity on me, because my soul takes refuge in you.  I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until destructive storms pass by."

    There is an old saying among sailors about any port in a storm.  There was even a time when the great shipping nations would grant enemy ships the right to make harbor in case of a storm.  After the storm, the ship had a few hours to sail and then they were fair game.  It was often the suddenness of the storm that would cause the sailors to fear.

    A calm day could turn into a nightmare.  The seafarer soon became skilled at reading the signs of the weather.  Red sky at morning sailor take warning; red sky at night sailor delight.  This saying is very old and believed by many sailors, even today.  It didn’t take long for sailors to begin to read all the signs that would give clues to the coming weather.  They would watch the animals, the birds, and the fish all provided behavioral patterns to which the sailors could try and determine problems ahead.

     Yet many a sailor would go out and many a sailor would find themselves in trouble.  They would seek any port in a storm to keep them safe.  Many people today have that same attitude.  They seek any and all ports of safety in a storm.

     We see this when a person faces a health scare.  As they wait for the results from the tests; they pray and then check their horoscope and then do some form of luck enhancement.  When the test come back negative, they thank their lucky stars, dodged the bullet and may even say a quick prayer of thanks.  Yet if the results are not negative; what comfort do your “lucky stars” give you?  We need to know where our stronghold truly is.

    David wrote that God is my refuge and strength.  He was a guy who knew about trouble.  Even though he was the greatest king that Israel had ever known; he spent a lot of time running and hiding from people trying to kill him.  Even when he was all alone and the enemy surrounded him, he found refuge in God.  We can as well.  God offers us the assurance of our salvation and the certain promise of our salvation.  Even when all the earthly pretenders fail; God provides.

    While many think that it is acceptable to “cover all the bases” and look for comfort from any who claim to offer it; our only true source of comfort and happiness is in God.  Our salvation is guaranteed because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.  This is our port, our only port, in any storm, in any trial or tribulation; God protects us and guards us from all danger.  We will face many trials; this is part of sinful man but God promises to guard us and protect us from all harm and evil.  We don’t even have to read the signs; simply trust our port, our stronghold for our salvation; Jesus our risen Lord.      

Dear Father, you keep us safe from all that the devil and this sinful world throw at us.  We give you thanks for your comforting spirit and your safe and loving arms.  Be with those who are in need of your comfort and give us the wisdom to reach out to those who need it most.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-17-2019

 Good Morning All,

                Luke 19:5; “When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down! I must stay at your house today.”

    Meal time can be one of the most important times in our day.  Some meals can be some of the most important times of your lives.  Think of the first meal you ate you’re your future spouse.  Think of the first meal you ate with your future in-laws.  Think of the meals that you have spent with your family or friends.  When you are with those whom you love, the food seems to taste better.  It seems to be made with love.

    I remember as a child we would have many meals with uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, great aunts and uncles.  We would sit around the table, enjoy the meal and then enjoy the time of talking and listening.  The younger ones would sit and listen to their past being told to them in very carefully crafted and honed stories.  The older members would listen to their future as the dreams of tomorrow were expressed.

    Sometimes, the best times are spent with friends around the meal table.  You share stories of children as they grow and before too long; you are sharing stories of grandchildren.  Time spent with family and friends around the meal table makes even unbearable events tolerable.  It is often around a table with food on it that friends cry together over the death of a parent or spouse.  We use the meal table for some of our most important life events.

    Jesus spends a lot of time around the meal table with people.  Some, like our verse, were among the outcasts of Jewish society.  Other times, Jesus is eating with the Pharisees and debating the meaning of the Law.  Jesus spends much of his time eating meals with the people that he interacts with.  It appears that the common event was to have him over for a meal after the Sabbath was done.  The only question was whether it was with the Jewish leaders or with the Jewish outcasts.

    Jesus spends this time in much the same way that we do.  He used this time to listen to the people but mostly to try and to teach them with a more in depth understanding of what the kingdom of heaven meant and how God was a God who loved them as dear children.  Jesus used the meal time table to deliver his message of salvation.  This gave him a personal, intimate time with those to whom he came.  He shared with them the meal as he told them his salvation.

    Jesus comes to us in the form of a meal today.  He comes to us in his body and blood with all of its spirit refreshing and soul reviving benefits.  Jesus comes to you with his personal and intimate message of salvation.  He comes to you and he comes to me with the message of the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life eternal.

Dear Father, Come to us we pray.  Come to share with us to comfort us to give us the hope of life eternal.  Guard us with your tender hand and keep us safe in you.  Be with those who are in need of your grace the most.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

5-16-2019

Good Morning All,

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

    Many years ago, when I was still in high school, we had a youth gathering in Minneapolis.  One of the outings was to go to the IDS Tower.  It was very tall and you could ride an elevator up to an observation deck and look out over the city and a good chunk of Minnesota and probably Wisconsin if you knew what you were looking for.

    Most of us who went up more than once, just liked to ride the elevator.  On the observation deck, we would lean against the glass and try to see down.  As we were standing there looking out we noticed one of our group standing in the middle of the deck.  He was somewhat pale and was sweating up a storm.  We got in the elevator and he stood as far back as he could up against the wall.  When we got to ground level, we went to a restaurant to eat.  As we sat there, we asked him if he was feeling alright.  He told us this story.

    When he was 8 or 9 years old, he fell off a grain bin.  It was only about 10 feet but he landed with a thud.  His parents had told him not to play on the bin but you know how boys can be.  He said he hurt really bad but was afraid to tell his parents.  It took about a week before he felt better.  Ever since that event, he was terrified of heights.  He didn’t even like the top row of bleachers at a ballgame.  But when he saw that going up the IDS Tower was on the schedule, he decided he was going to go.

    We wondered aloud what he would have done if he would have gotten half way up and panicked.  The elevator was an express one, form the ground floor to the deck with no stops along the way.  He kind of laughed and said he never thought about that.  Maybe if he had, he wouldn’t have gone.  But he did go and we all congratulated him.  For the rest of us, it was a chance to go high and look around; for him it was to stare at a personal demon and defeat it.

    We all have those personal demons in our life.  There are those thoughts or events which just send us into fear and uncontrolled panic.  For many it is the fear of death, especially a loved one.  For others, it is being alone.  For some it is having no control in their life.  For some it is watching loved ones struggle with bad decisions.   We struggle with those demons.  At times, we may even think that the demons might win.

    When you feel that way, remember what Paul tells us here.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  The key is to remember who has the strength; it is Jesus who has all the power.  It is Jesus who handles our fear.  We need to see that our personal strength gets us nowhere; we only have strength through Jesus.  We can’t beat the demons but Jesus already has; we only need to receive this blessing on faith.  The fears that we have are all already conquered.  God’s mercy has dealt with them and now comforts us and shields us.  The devil can no longer use these to attack us.  We need to cling to God who will see us through the storms of life.

Dear Father, our own strength is nothing compared to yours.  We cannot stand up to the devil and his ways, we need someone to rescue us.  We thank you for sending Jesus to fight our battles and to win our wars. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.        

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-15-2019

Good Morning All,

       John 15:5; “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing”.

    What do you call a branch that is not hooked to a tree?  It is called a stick.  What are branches good for?  They produce flowers, fruit; provide shade and a place for birds and squirrels to live.  What is a stick good for?  Kindling. 

    Ok, so I am not very good at writing riddles but I think you get the point.  Even the largest branch, once it is no longer connected to the tree, is dead.  A branch that is connected to a tree, even a tiny branch, produces more fruit than any branch that has broken off.  All of this seems quite logical so why do we have trouble seeing that this applies to our lives?

    Jesus is telling us that He is the vine.  The vine is the source of all nourishment and strength.  Even if the branch cracks, as long as it is connected to the vine it will survive, even flourish as it continues to be fed by vine.  The vine also serves as protection for the branch.  It remains anchored safely as the wind buffets the branch.  It is through the nourishment of vine that the branch is able to produce flower and fruit.  We are the same.

     Yet we often head off in our own direction thinking we can produce better fruit without any nourishment.  We see ourselves as really quite capable of going our own way and making our own choices; all the while we are drying up and shriveling to nothing.  As soon as the next hot, dry spell occurs, we will really be a goner!!  Soon we will be picked up and disposed of burned in a fire somewhere.  We will not survive by ourselves.

    Think of the times in your life when you have been buffeted by the winds of trial and trouble.  We have illnesses or relationship strains, financial woes, job woes; we have enough woes to float a ship.  That is the nature of mankind living in a sinful condition.  If we are not attached to the true Vine (Jesus), we will soon be used as kindling in the fire of the power of the devil.  He will cause you to live as if there is no hope.  The devil will toy with you and harm you.  The devil will make your life miserable.  We need to stay attached to the true vine.

     God gives us all we need to stay attached.  He gives his Word for us to hear what he has to say.  He gives us prayer so we can speak to him.  He gives us the body and blood so we may be fed the spirit-lifting, soul-refreshing meal which we need.  God does all to keep us attached we need only to not let go.  We need to trust in him as the true vine to rescue us and to keep us safe and strong, to keep us nourished and fed.  It is only through him that we can survive the onslaught of this world’s perils.  We can never win the battle alone we can only win through God’s grace.

Father of all mercy, without you we are completely lost.  Hold us close, keep us connected to you.  Feed us, nourish us and protect us from the attacks of the evil foe.  Give comfort to those who need it most, in Jesus precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret           

5-14-2019

Good Morning All,

       Psalm 33:11; “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations."

    When my oldest son was about 4 or 5, he got a chance to fly in an airplane.  It was a small two-seater that was flown by my mother’s cousin.  We took off from runway number one of the Northville International Airport and we flew for a few minutes.  He liked it but wasn’t overly sold on the whole deal.  As we came around for the landing approach, the pilot slowed the engine way down and the plane began to descend.  My son’s eyes got wide and a tiny look of terror was on his face.  He didn’t say anything but he didn’t have to.  After we landed; he was quieter than normal.

    By the time we got back to our farm he was talking a mile a minute again.  He liked how the plane did this and he liked looking out the window and seeing everyone’s house and the roads and so on.  Being the usual 4 or 5-year-old he looked up and finished with the standard, “That was fun dad, do you know what I want to be when I grow?”  Expecting the obvious, I answered, “No son, what do you want to be?”  He replied, “I want to be a fireman!”

    He had his plans.  I don’t know if the airplane ride didn’t sway those plans or just cemented them in place.  We all have plans.  It is amazing the percentage of students who change their major in the first year of college.  It is something like 80% change at least once.  We all have plans and they can change. 

    I remember a girl we went to college with.  She grew up on a small dairy farm and swore up and down when she graduated she would be as far away from a farm as possible.  That was until she married a west river rancher.  Plans can and do change.  Some like these are kind of humorous; unfortunately, some are not.  Many servicemen and women return home from active duty and are wounded and maimed.  Their plans with their families change.  Couples who plan on growing old together and then suddenly one dies and the other has a change of plans.

    We all make plans and we should but we should always make them with the understanding of “Deo Volente”; God willing.  All are plans are dependent on God’s will because God has plans for us.  These plans are to give us a future and to give us hope.  We don’t always see these plans and sometimes we don’t even like these plans but God’s plans are always to mold and to shape us into the disciples that he calls us to be and his plans are to draw us closer to him and to give us eternal salvation.  We can fight God’s plans but this only adds to the stress of our life and while we do not always see the plans as clearly as we like; we trust in God’s grace and mercy to carry us through.

Dear Father, too often we think our plans are the best when it is your plans which are in our best interest and for our future.  Strengthen our faith that we may have full confidence in our future and that we place our entire trust in you for you are our hope.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret           

5-13-2019

 Good Morning All,

 Song of Solomon 6:3; “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.  He is the one who grazes his flock among the lilies.”   

    Everyone loves a love story.  Even if we say we don’t; we really do.  We like to see or read where the two leads finally get together and true love prevails.  Most of the greatest stories told are love stories.  Think of Romeo and Juliet or Anna Karenina or any one of the newer stories.   The love of the man for the woman which compels and drives them to be together no matter what the odds or cost unites them as one. 

    This union is a true mystery; how do two become one?  We may not fully understand God’s ways or gifts but we receive them anyway.  Part of that gift is the incredible love which God has for us as his Church.  He expresses his love for us through the sacrifice of Jesus and then unites us with him in an eternal loving relationship.  The Scriptures often describes this as a marriage.      

    This is a portion of the great love ballad in the Bible.  It is the conversation between Solomon and his bride.  It serves as an allegory of Christ and the Church.  Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride.  As we read this Book, we read about the incredible love of Christ for His Church.

    God expresses his love for us in many ways.  Here we read of total devotion to one another.  God shows us this through his sending of Jesus to die for us and through the resurrection which shows us the open door to heaven.  God also shows his love by defending his bride the Church.  God is a jealous God who will defend from all unwanted suitors, like the devil.  He defends us with his mighty arm and protects with his gracious love.  God is faithful to us even when we are unfaithful.  He calls us back to himself through his grace, extending to us a mercy which only one who loves us totally would offer.

    The love that God has for us is stronger than we can ever imagine.  He is there for us as the battles and turmoil of this life surround us.  He is there to comfort our pain, heal our sorrow and to provide us hope.  He is there to protect us from the devil with a jealous rage that flashes fire.  The passion of God’s love is deep for us.  It consumes him with the desire to save us from our sins and not to destroy us as we deserve.  It is this love that causes Him to see us as someone worth redeeming; someone who he chooses to love.

    He marks us with a seal, the seal of Baptism.  It is the sign which He marks us with to claim us as his own beloved ones.  Through Baptism we are marked and sealed with an everlasting love which will bring us to eternal life.

Gracious Father, you love us with a passion which is greater than anything that we can fathom.  Keep us close to you and deepen our love for you that we may be made worthy of you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-12-2019

      Good Morning All,

      Psalm 56:13; “You have rescued me from death.  You have kept my feet from stumbling so that I could walk in your presence in the light of life."

    Do you ever watch “Funniest Home Videos” or on the internet when they show high fashion models and they slip and fall down?  Boy, sometimes they really wipe out completely.  You can watch them go head first into the orchestra pit or photographer’s pit and it is just boom.  I watched one where these girls were modeling swimsuits.  The promoter had them walk out of the shallow end of the pool and on this reviewing stand.  By the time the fifth or sixth one was on the stand, it was so wet no one could walk. So, the next ten or twelve were slipping and sliding and falling all over the place.  Some of them looked painful.

    Think of the times when we are walking along and we stumble.  Sometimes we catch ourselves and sometimes we don’t.  Sometimes when we catch our balance; it hurts worse than if we would have simply fell.

    In the Bible, we read where our life is compared to a journey or a race.  If you are in a race, just about the worst thing you can do is stumble.  Not only do you fall down but you usually wipe out a couple of other runners, get stepped on and then blamed for everything.  Or think in terms of someone who is trying to get in a building and the wind and the weather is such that it is almost impossible; sometimes we need someone who will help keep us up and not falling down.  Sometimes we need someone to pick us up when we fall.

    Our verse speaks of Jesus as the one who is able to keep us from stumbling.  This, of course, is the kind of language where we are struggling with temptation and sin and we try and deal with it on our own.  When we do, we always fail; we always stumble.  No matter how many times we try, no matter how many times we fight; we will always stumble and fall.  It is like the models trying to walk on the wet walkway; it is just not going to work.

    The truth is that when the devil sets out to trip us up, to make us stumble; we can never catch ourselves.  The devil has such sly and hidden methods that we are quickly falling before we even know what hit us.  Usually when we stumble and fall we tear our clothes, scrape our elbow or knee and generally end up a little worse for the wear.  After stumbling a number of times, we really are a mess.

    Yet Jesus picks us up and brushes us off when we do rely on our own abilities.  Yet if we keep our faith in him, he will keep us from stumbling so that we are presented blameless before him. 

Dear Lord Jesus, you keep us from stumbling into the devil’s traps and we give you thanks.  Keep us mindful that we cannot stand on our own but that we wholly lean on you in your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret