How will you respond?

Consider the price of this ransom, look carefully at this captive.  He is the Son of God who is greater than all creation. How will you respond when you hear that such a priceless ransom was paid for your sins?  Will you still want to offer your works done under the law? What is the works of all men, the suffering of the martyrs, and the obedience of the holy angels compared with what the Son of God has given in His death, even death on a cross?

Martin Luther, from "Treasury of Daily Prayer," page 155. 

God wants to give us all things

In Romans 8:32 the apostle Paul writes that God wants to give us all things.  Is that really true? This week's Gospel lesson about the Lost Son in Luke 15 may just provide the answer.  Learn more this Sunday at Christ the Redeemer, Olive and south of 43rd Ave.  Join us at 9 am!

Get ready to laugh, It's the Friday Funny!

Mrs. Smartt was fumbling in her purse for her offering when a large television remote fell out and clattered into the aisle.

The curious usher bent over to retrieve it for her and whispered, “Do you always carry your TV remote to church?”

“No,” she replied, “but my husband refused to come with me this morning, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally.”

Luther says, It's On You!

Therefore, when you view the nail's piercing through His hands, firmly believe it is your work.  Do you see His crown of thorns? Believe the thorns are your wicked thoughts.

"Martin Luther in His Own Words," page 117

So You Want To Be A Sports Talk Host?

 

So you want to be a sports-talk show host?

I've had the opportunity to listen to the big sports talk station in town this week and I've discovered a few simple steps for hosting a sports talk program.  It's really pretty simple so if you've ever listened to such programs and thought to yourself, "Hey! I could do this!" I urge you to put these three steps into practice and soon you'll be rubbing elbows with Dan Patrick and Bob Costas and, well, probably not.

First, learn to repeat every sentence you say at least three times.

Say something like, "The Suns did not show up to play tonight." Then say it again.  Say it one more time.  Apparently, those who listen to sports talk program aren't very swift so you've got to repeat your points over and over again until the listener gets what you're saying.

(Or maybe the host is not very swift and simply repeats stuff over and over again because they've got no real insight or anaylsis to offer.  Nah - that's couldn't be true, right?) 

Ah, but repetition in and of itself is not enough!

Second, as you repeat every sentence three times, crank up the volume!!

Let me try and demonstrate (you can't hear me so use your imagination, OK?)

"The Suns did not show up to play tonight.  The Suns Did Not Show Up To Play Tonight!  THE SUNS DID NOT SHOW UP TO PLAY TONIGHT!!!!!"

Cranking up the volume proves that you are a passionate sports talk show host and we sports fans are nothing if not passionate about our teams and their performance.

Third, remind your audience over and over again that you were at the game.

I guess this lets your listeners know that you weren't watching the game from the comfort of your living room where with all the good camera angles and instant replay, you can see the game much better than at a seat in the stadium.  You were there at the game! That must lend more creditability to what you say.

So, say something like, "You're right, I was at that game and the Suns did not show up to play.  No way did they play hard.  I was there and the Suns didn't show up.  I was there at that game and the Suns did not show up, no way! I WAS THERE AT THE GAME AND THE SUNS DID NOT SHOW UP!" (a good use of rules 2 and 3).

Now I know that there are only a few sports talk show hosting opportunities out there so maybe you can use these rules where you work.  If you're a pastor, use them in the pulpit: (The devil fooled Adam and Eve.  The Devil Fooled Adam And Eve! THE DEVIL FOOLED ADAM AND EVE!!!)
Or maybe you can apply the rules with your fellow employees: (I was there at the meeting and our benefits have been frozen.  They're frozen! I was there.  I heard it with my own two ears.  I WAS THERE AT THE MEETING!!!)

Of course, should you apply these three rules to your place of work, you might run the risk of having happen to you what I did to the sports talk station.

Tune it out.

A prayer of confession

Back in 1948, Concordia Publishing House printed what they called "The Devotional Bible," a two volume set of devotional readings of the Gospels.  The devotions included a prayer and this particular one seemed to be meaningful for me on the day I read it because I wrote in down in my journal.  The prayer went like this:

O Lord, for Jesus' sake, remake me day after day, creating in me a clean heart.  I confess my sins to You.  They have bruised and wounded my soul.  You alone can blot all these wrongs and transgressions through Christ.  Make me acceptable to You and grant that every word and act of mine may please You.  Then You shall be the praise in Christ Jesus forevermore.  Amen.

Here's the Friday Funny!

A pastor is walking down the street one day when he notices a small boy trying to use the doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy is very small and the doorbell is too high for him to reach.
After watching the boys efforts for some time the pastor walks across the street up to the little fellow and rings the doorbell.

Kneeling down next to the child, the pastor smiles and asks, "And now what, my little man?" To which the boy replies, "Run!" 

It's time for the big dance!

I am, of course, referring to March Madness, the 64 team tournament to decide the best college basketball team in the country.

Yesterday, I puzzled over my brackets.  I wrote it in pencil so if I changed my mind, I could easily make corrections.  And also to change my picks back to where they were originally if I began to have second or third thoughts.

All season long my dear, sweet wife and I followed Grand Canyon University, led by their fine coach, Bryce Drew.  This is the third consecutive year that he has taken the team to the tourney.  Last year GCU won its first round game and had Alabama on the ropes, so to speak, before losing a close game.  

Again, I expect GCU to do a first round upset of Maryland.  After that, I'm not so sure.  I might pray for their success but I don't really think that God has His own bracket showing GCU winning the national championship.  I'm sure there are more important prayer requests that God must consider.

I've rearranged my office/man cave so that my recliner is set right in front of the TV.  All I need is a glass of iced tea and some pretzels and I'm ready to go.  May your brackets be clean and your wi-fi never go out!

Jesus, our substitute

From John Jeske's wonderful book, Connecting Sinai to Calvary

Because in our place our substitute lived a life of perfect obedience to the holy law of God, God considers us to be people who have given Him the perfect obedience He demands.  Because in our place our substitute died innocently under God's curse, God considers us to have been punished for our sin.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

We sin because we are sinners.  And God has every right to punish us fully and completely.  But the Parable of the Fig Tree reveals how great God's mercy and patience is toward us.  Come and learn more this Sunday at Christ the Redeemer, located at Olive and just south of 43rd Avenue.  God bless your weekend!

You got it...the Friday Funny!

Twin seven year old boys were always getting into trouble. Their parents knew if any mischief was reported in town, the twins were probably involved. Their mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. The mother sent one boy in the morning, with the other boy to see the preacher in the afternoon. The preacher, a huge man with a deep booming voice, sat the boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?" The boy made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?!" Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD?!" The boy screamed, ran directly home and hid in his closet. When his twin brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?" His brother replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time! GOD is missing, and they think WE did it!" 

Love Isn't Love Until You've Given It Away

            Actress Mary Martin was on the road performing in the musical, “South Pacific.”  Just before going on stage she received a note from a dear friend, lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein.  The short note said: Dear Mary, a bell’s not a bell until you ring it.  A song’s not a song till you sing it.  Love in your heart is not put there to stay.  Love isn’t love till you give it away.”

            One picture of Jesus that the Gospels provide is how His ministry was marked by the love He gave away.

            St. Mark tells us of a leper who was healed by a willing Jesus – the cured man was on the receiving end of Jesus’ love.  A large crowd gathered around Jesus and he had compassion on them by providing a meal from only a few fish and loaves of bread – the crowd was on the receiving end of Jesus’ love.  In spite of the disciples, parents were invited to bring their children to Jesus so that He could bless them – the children were on the receiving end of Jesus’ love.

            As Jesus walked with His disciples on the road up to Jerusalem He explained, according to Mark’s Gospel, that “the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law.  They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him and spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him.  Three days later He will rise.”  And then it happened just as Jesus said.  And we – you and I – were on the receiving end of Jesus’ love!

            “Love isn’t love until you give it away.”  Jesus gave His very life for us so that we might be redeemed from God’s wrath and punishment for our disobedience.  Having shed His blood on the cross, Jesus reconciled us to our heavenly Father.  Having become God’s children through faith in Jesus, we receive every blessing that God can give – forgiveness for our sins, peace to sooth our hearts, and love which assures us that nothing can separate us from our Lord.

            Jesus took your sins upon Himself.  He suffered the punishment you deserved.  He gives you credit for His perfect life and makes you righteous and holy before the Father.  If that’s not love, then love doesn’t exist.  To whom can you give the love of Jesus? Your spouse? Your kids? A suffering friend? God has planted the love of Jesus in your heart by the Holy Spirit.  Be sure to joyfully and with thanksgiving give that love away! 

Saints Who Slip

(Referring to Genesis 19:30-32, Martin Luther wrote)

You might ask, "Why did God permit his people, whom He loved, to sink so low?" We shouldn't question God's motives for what He permits.  Still, in this case, we can easily find a probable explanation.  God wants us to recognize our helplessness so that we don't lapse into a false sense of security.  Lot and his family saw the sins of the people of Sodom and condemned them.  But then what happened? Lot's devout daughters disgraced themselves by committing incest.  This was so scandalous that it seldom occurred even among the people of Sodom.

So God's intent is clear.  He wants us to humble ourselves and find comfort in His mercy and kindness.  As far as humans are concerned, no one is better or more holy than the next person.  Thankfully, God protects us from sinning too seriously.  But if her were to withdraw His hand, we might fall into the very same sins.  So this story teaches us to humble ourselves in God's presence and continually pray for the Holy Spirit's guidence.

From "By Faith Alone," March 10.

A Sunday Nugget from Hammer of God

One ought not talk about oneself, it might hide Jesus from view.

page 179

The Showdown in the Desert

It seems that every good western movie ends with a showdown - the good guy in the white hat and the bad guy wearing black.  In Luke 4:1-13 we read of another showdown, one with eternal consequences for you and me.  How does it turn out.  Come and find out.  Worship is at 9 am at Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, Olive and just south of 43rd Avenue.  Hope to see you!

Final Basketball Update

My grandson's basketball season is finally over.  But it kept us on the edge of our seats to the very end!

His team won their conference and make it to the first round of the sectionals.  The school they played against was much, much larger than Luke's school.  This team was talented, tall and fast.  It was amazing how they quickly moved down the court for one layup after another.

But Luke's school stayed with them.  They trailed by four points at the half.  They stayed within striking distance at the end of the third quarter.  But with a couple of minutes left in the game they missed some easy shots under the basket.  The final score was 63-57.

As I wrote earlier, Luke did not play - he was a JV player.  But the coach thought enough of him and three of his teammates to dress with the varsity.  Luke's dad told me that although he didn't get in the game, he was urging his teammates on, imploring them to "Go to work!"

I haven't talked to him but I'm hoping Luke will continue to dedicate himself to work on his game and attend the regular weight lifting sessions.  He still has lots to learn.  But he made so much progress this year.  If I were wearing a shirt with buttons, they'd be bursting off right now!

Martin Luther on Faith

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace.  It is so sure and certain that a person could stake his our her life on it a thousand times.

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

From "The Treasury of Daily Prayer," page 26

Basketball update

Over the past few weeks I've been providing you with updates on my Grandson's high school basketball team.

Luke played on the JV team.  But when their season ended, the coach called him and three of his teammates up to the Varsity squad.  They were not eligible to play but they were able to practice and travel with the team.

Last Friday, Luke's team played for their conference championship.  It was thrilling to watch as Luke's team took an early lead and then held on all the way to the end.  They ended up winning the game by 8 points.

At the trophy presentation, the team and the students rushed the court, celebrating their first conference championship in 10 years.  And Luke was right in the middle of it! I was so happy for him and hope that the experience will motivate him and his teammates to contend for the championship next year.

Today I learned that Luke's team will be playing tomorrow night in a sectional tournament.  Should they win, they will play against the number one rated team in their division.  Should they chalk up another victory, they would play for a state championship with the game held at Michigan State University.

No matter the final outcome, it has been such a joy to watch our Grandson play, even though we here in Arizona.  I watched a few minutes of the Phoenix Suns the other night and it was BORING!  I'd much rather follow Luke's high school team or Grand Canyon University.  My front row seat at home is pretty sweet!

I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart!

Author Eugene Peterson has some very interesting observations regarding "joy."  For example:

Joy is not a requirement of Christian discipleship; it is a consequence...it is what comes to us when we are walking in the way of faith and obedience.

All suffering, all pain, all emptiness, all disappointment is seed: sow it in God and He will, finally, bring a crop of joy from it.

So often we believe that joy is something that we must muster up for ourselves.  Of course, we can't produce joy but how often do we fall for the lie that if we do something that makes us feel good (regardless of what God says about it) or if we obtain some new thing, we'll be joyous?

If we care at all about our relationship with God, living outside of His will won't bring a lasting joy.

And stuff can't make us happy.  Stuff breaks down or wears out or fall apart.  How much joy is there in all of that?

Where do we look for joy? Paul wrote to the Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!

Our joy is in Jesus.  He puts the bounce in our step, the smile on our face, the joy in our hearts.

Listening to Him in His Word...speaking to Him in prayer...being in His house to receive His gifts...sharing His gifts with the people around us - that where joy is found. 

We can't produce joy.  Jesus gives it as one of His precious gifts.

Worship the Lord faithfully and serve His people lovingly.  Watch and see if He doesn't fill your heart with joy overflowing!

From March 2013

The Friday Funny Cannot Be Stopped!

A young preacher was contacted by the local funeral director to hold a grave-side service at a small cemetery for someone with no family or friends. The preacher started early but got himself lost, making several wrong turns along the way. 

He arrived a half-an-hour late. The hearse was nowhere in sight and the workman were eating lunch. The preacher went to the graveside and saw the vault already in place. Taking out his Bible he conducted the service. As he was returning to his car, he overheard one of the workmen say; “Do you think we should tell him it’s a septic tank?” 

What about us Lutherans?

While going through an old journal the other day I discovered a couple of quotes that I think really capture something about our Lutheran theology and practice. 

While Lutherans also confess that God is almighty, Lutheran theology does not begin with His majesty but with His mercy in Christ.
John Pless, "Handling the Word of Truth" page 101

Lutherans are about faith in Christ and deeds that show Christ's love and mercy.

Matt Harrison, "Christ Have Mercy" page 142 

What 5 Things Did You Do Today?

In order to find out who is working for the Federal Government and who isn't working, Elon Musk asked for a list of the five things that employee did.  Apparently there are thousands of people not showing up for work.  Government buildings sit empty.  So I think it's fine to find out if these workers are doing a lick of work.

My five things today:

Worked on my Bible study for Thursday's class

Met with some church leaders who are dealing with a couple of difficult problems

Consulted on a Memorial Service that I will be conducting soon

Helped to get our oven fixed

Reached out to a friend who is scheduled for surgery tomorrow

I don't think Elon really cares what I'm up to.  But doesn't it make you feel good to be doing meaningful work? Praise God for making it possible.

Have you heard the one about the church and the bar?

A church became very upset when they learned that a bar was going to be built next to their property.  The members of the church opposed the bar and began to pray that somehow God would intervein.  A few days before the bar was to open, lightening the structure and the bar burned to the ground.

The people of the church were pleased - until they received notice that the would-be bar owner was suing them.  The owner contended that the prayers of the church were responsible for the burning of the building.  In a strongly worded deposition the church denied the charges.

A court hearing was held on the matter.  When all was said and done, the judge remarked, "I don't know what my decision will be but this appears to be the situation: the owner of the bar believes in prayer and the church people do not!"

Put Your Hope in the Lord

Author Joni Eareckson Tada, in her book, "Overcoming Adversity," wrote about a volunteer at her ministry, Joni and Friends, a high school students named Clay.  Clay cheerfully packed boxes and stuffed envelopes and just generally offered himself and his time wherever it was needed.

However, Joni noted, Clay's passion is running.  During cross-country season Clay didn't volunteer many hours of service.  Every hour he wasn't in school, he was out running.  The folks at Joni's ministry would report seeing Clay out running in the wee hours of the morning, piling up the miles.

When she had the chance, Joni asked Clay a question that had been on her mind for a long time: what is the most difficult part of a long-distance run? She thought it would be either the first mile or so as the runner is getting mentally prepared to run a great distance or at the end, when you're body is exhausted and you feel like you can't run another step.

Clay's answer surprised Joni.  He told her it was the middle portion of the run, "when you're out of range of those cheering voices at the start and finish lines.  It's that long, grey middle distance that saps your strength and your will.

Life has been likened to a long-distance race.  And there are times in our lives, especially when we seem to be in that middle distance, where the race is much more difficult than we could have imagined.  A health problem, financial struggles or self-esteem issues can all seem like reasons for giving up.

If you are in need of refreshment for the race called "life," be sure to read Psalm 42 sometime this week.  Hope in the Lord leads to praise.  Love from the Lord leads to prayer.  Verses 5 and 11 seem like a refrain worth singing: Put your hope in the Lord, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

Put your hope in the Lord!

From March 2013

Believe it! The Friday Funny!

A little girl asked her mother, "Where did people come from?"

Her mother answered, "God made Adam and Eve and they had children and that's how all mankind was made."

A couple of days later she asked her father the same question.

The father answered, "Many years ago there were monkeys, which the human race evolved from."

The confused little girl returned to her mother and said, "Mommy, how is it possible that you told me that we were created by God, and Daddy said we came from monkeys?"

The mother answered, "Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his." 

Grandson Basketball Update

In his last three games he has scored 19, 20 & 21 points.  Also averaging 8 rebounds a game.

So proud of him.  He's seeing all the summer practices and the weekly weightlifting sessions are paying off.

His last game is Friday.  For me, the season ended much too quickly.

Why do some believe and others don't?

From Christopher Kennedy's book, "Grace Under Pressure."

Why did one thief come to faith and not the other? Why were the presence and word of Christ effective in one heart but not the other? The answer to that mystery belongs to God.  Both thieves had knowledge of Jesus.  Both had proximity to Him.  One believed.  For one, intellectual knowledge registered in the heart and elicited a cry for salvation.  The man's last prayer may have been his first prayer.

You might be praying for the Holy Spirit to turn a loved one to Jesus.  You may be praying for a miraculous conversion.  Your prayers are not in vain! Why some believe and others don't - that's a mystery.  Whether we should pray for the salvation of others - that's not a mystery.  Jesus taught His followers "always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1).  Our loved ones' eternal destinies matter to us; think how much more they matter to God, who sent His Son to die for them and "who desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).  When we ray for others, we extend God's grace to them.  (page 75-76)

Is there any hope?

Years ago an S-4 submarine was rammed by a ship off the coast of Massachusetts.  It sank immediately.  The entire crew was trapped in a prison house of death.  Every effort was made to rescue the crew, but ultimately all plans failed.  Near the end of the ordeal, a deep-sea diver, who was doing everything in his power to find a way for the crew's rescue, thought he heard a tapping on the steel wall of the vessel.  He placed his helmet up against the side of the vessel and he realized it was the Morse Code.  He attached himself to the side and he spelled out in his mind the message being tapped from within.  It was repeating the same question: Is...there...any...hope?

That's a question we've all asked at least once in our lives, isn't it? Is there any hope...for my marriage, for finding a job, for earning a college scholarship, for an early retirement? Someone has said, "We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope."

In Psalm 39, David is faced with asking the question, "Is there any hope?" He had been trying to keep a stiff, upper lip, so to speak, by remaining silent during a very painful time in his life.  Then he pours out from his heart all the impatience and frustration he is feeling.  But by the time we get to verse seven, we learn that it has been helpful for David to have been very honest with the Lord.  He responds with what we might call a "trusting prayer" that is fueled by the hope he has in his Lord.

God has given you and me that same hope.  We don't worry about our standing with God because Jesus has made us right and acceptable to our Father.  We don't despair about our future because Jesus has prepared a place in heaven for us.  We don't allow present day problems to consume us because Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  (Romans 15:4)

We have hope! 

From March 2012

We interrupt this commercial for a football game

Yesterday's Super Bowl game was the most frustrating one I've ever watched.  Commercial after commercial, promo after promo, talking head after talking head.  I sat there wondering if the game was ever going to start.

The Super Bowl used to be about the game.  But now it's about the commercials and the half-time show and which celebrity is seated in the stands (yes, the broadcast made it clear that Taylor Swift was there).

I didn't understand half of the commercials.  A lot of them made no sense.  A few were very pro-America which I appreciated.  But I don't think a year from now someone is going to ask, "Say, you remember that commercial from last year's Super Bowl?"

As far as the halftime show is concerned, apparently I am not part of the demographic that the Super Bowl is trying to entertain.  I have never been a fan of rap music but at least there have been occasions when I could understand what was being said.  Not this year. I found it a great time to head to the kitchen where my dear, sweet wife and friends had created a feast of goodies.  

I wasn't rooting for a particular team.  I just wanted to see a good game.  I was not expecting Philadelphia's defense to completely dominate the Chief's offense.  I didn't expect Pat Mahomes to throw two interceptions, one run back for a touchdown.  The game ended 40-22 and it wasn't that close.

The winner yesterday was my dear, sweet wife.  No more football for about seven months.  For her, it doesn't get better than that!

Can God both love and discipline?

Pastor Frank Starr, in his series, "Life for the Way," offers a good answer.

Some Christians maintain that wrath and punishment is inconsistent with a God of love and mercy.  But this view strips God of His holiness, which hates sin and cannot countenance it.  God's grace has made a way for us to escape His wrath by providing Jesus as our substitute.  On our behalf, the Savior on the cross bore the full weight of God's wrath against our sin.

The writer to the Hebrews speaks of the Lord's discipline in chapter 12:4-17.  But the writer offers the greatest reassurance for believers.  We "share in His holiness," that is, God sees us in the righteousness of Christ that we received in our baptism.  But like a loving father, our heavenly Father disciplines us to "struggle against sin."

What is the result of this disciplining work? We "strive for peace" with all those in our circle of friends and with everyone.  In this way others "see the Lord," and God is glorified.

From March 2012

Ben Franklin wisdom

Fish and guests stink after three day.

Watching my grandson play basketball

This is an exciting day.  I get to watch my oldest grandson play some basketball.

He plays on his high school basketball team in Michigan.  I am here in Arizona.  So, how do I get to see his games?

The state of Michigan has a service that allows subscribers to watch high school sports of those school who participate in this special service.  Late into the basketball season last year I learned about this service.  And I got to watch my grandson play in the freshmen games.

I'm so proud of him.  He was not interested very much in sports.  But between 7th and 8th grade he had a big growth spurt.  And even though he had never really played any basketball at all the coach at his middle school asked him to play on the team.

He was pretty raw and not as good as the others on the team.  But for my shy, introverted grandson playing on the team was so beneficial.

Here was a group of guys with whom he could make friends.  Guys with whom he had a common interest.  And they were good kids.  They welcomed my grandson and made him feel like a part of the team.

Since then my grandson has worked very hard to improve.  And it's been so much fun to see him improving his skills.  This year on the JV team he's averaging about 7 points a game and about 5 rebounds.  He still has much to learn.  But he's improving.  And his self-confidence is growing.

Praise God...for giving him a chance to play on a team, to develop friendships with his peers and for gaining self-confidence.  

I can't wait to watch today's game!

It's back - The Friday Funny

A newlywed farmer and his wife were visited by her mother, who immediately demanded an inspection of the place.

While they were walking through the barn, the farmer’s mule suddenly reared up and kicked the mother-in-law, unfortunately killing her instantly.

At the funeral service, the farmer stood near the casket and greeted folks as they walked by.

The pastor noticed that whenever a woman would whisper something to the farmer, he would nod his head “yes” and say something.

Whenever a man walked by and whispered to the farmer, he would shake his head “no” and mumble a reply.

Curious, the pastor later asked the farmer what that was all about.

The farmer replied, “The women would say, ‘What a terrible tragedy,’ and I would nod my head and say, ‘Yes, it was.’ The men would ask, ‘You wanna sell that mule?’ and I would shake my head and say, ‘Can’t. It’s all booked up for a year’.” 

To touch the face of God

39 years ago I was in Salt Lake City, Utah overseeing work at the radio station my partners and I owned.  I got a call from my partner and I was expecting him to ask me about a presentation I had made to a prospective client.  Instead, he told me to turn on the television to any channel.  I saw the plum of smoke in the sky and heard the awful news - the Challenger Space Shuttle had exploded.

I suppose most everyone remembers where they were that day.  I felt shock and unbelief.  How could this happen?  Later that night, President Ronald Reagan address the nation.  Never was there a Comforter in Chief than on that night.  The text of his speech follows:

January 28, 1986

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, ``Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy.'' They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: ``Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it.''

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, ``He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.'' Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ``slipped the surly bonds of earth'' to ``touch the face of God.'' 

The Greatest Distance in the World

 Read this great devotion this morning and wanted to share it with you.

What's the greatest distance in the world? Not the miles across the Atlantic or down to Antarctica, but the distance between the human head and heart.  Those 18 inches are the most difficult in the world.  Why? Because only God the Holy Spirit can travel them.  Millions hear about Jesus Christ as their only Savior, but only some believe.  The rest shake their heads in rejection or nod in seeming approval, only to go their own ways.  Their ears have heard but not their hearts.

What about me? Can I say with my heart, "Jesus is my Savior whom God raised from the dead?" Can I say with conviction: "His death counted for me.  His resurrection assures my resurrection.  Because He lives, I also will live, body and soul, in heaven some day?" Then thank God the Holy Spirit.  Through the gospel he carried the message from my head to my heart.  My faith is His gift.  Through that gospel He still works when my faith wavers to bridge the distance between head and heart.

The Spirit helps me travel another distance, the one between my heart and mouth.  When Jesus has moved from my head to my heart, then he'll also move from my heart to my mouth.  I'll proclaim gladly what I believe and thank Him for it.  I'll tell others what I believe and ask them to join me.  By God's grace it'll be head to heart to mouth, with the name of Jesus my precious Savior.

Richard E. Lauersdorf
"Together with Jesus - Daily Devotions for a Year"
Northwestern Publishing House

From January 2012

Well, I made it through "Quitters Friday"

I didn't know this until recently that the second Friday of January is known as Quitters Friday.  This is because, on average, any New Year's Resolution that is made on January 1st will be broken by the second Friday of the New Year.

On January 5th I started Weight Watchers.  I had gotten too heavy.  Pictures showed the truth - I was getting fat! I decided that something had to be done.  Weight Watchers had been helpful to me in the past so I have given it another try.

Now, January 17th should have been Quitters Friday for me.  But I powered right past it.  And I've kept going.  Monday is my weigh-in day and so far I've lost 4 pounds.  Doesn't sound like much.  But I've noticed that some slacks that had become too tight fit a little bit better now.  

Someone told me that because I'm older the weight isn't going to fall as fast as when I was younger.  At this point all I want to see is some progress.  So, I've got my head down and I'm going to keep powering through.  And keep walking past all the goodies my dear, sweet wife keeps around the house! 

Bad Times in Nazareth, Staring Jesus!

Jesus' return to Nazareth didn't go too well.  In fact, the folks wanted to kill Him.  People He had known all his life wanted to throw Him off a cliff.  They didn't know what they wanted.  But Jesus knew what they really needed.  Learn more tomorrow at Christ the Redeemer, 43rd Avenue and Olive in Phoenix.  Service begins at 9 am.  Have a great weekend!

Here's the Friday Funny!

By the time Bobby arrived, the football game had already started. “Why are you so late?” asked his friend. “I couldn’t decide between going to church and going to the football game. So I tossed a coin,” said Bobby. “But that shouldn’t have taken too long.” said the friend. “Well, I had to toss it 35 times.” 

Satan's Goal

Reading a great Old Testament survey book written by John Jeske, a WELS pastor and professor.  I really appreciated this paragraph:

(Satan's goal) is to rob us of our thankfulness for God's good gifts.  If it was within Satan's power, he wouldn't let us have a single piece of bread, not a single penny of income, not even a single hour of life.  But since that's not in his power, he'll try to rob us of God's blessings by making us ungrateful and unappreciative of them.

Isn't that what Satan did to the Israelites? They had God's constant attention and protection, they received everything they needed and more from God's gracious hand, and still they grumbled and complained.  God has done the same for you and me.  If an ancient Israelite could be thrust into our world, the Israelite wouldn't believe it - we have so much! Yet, how often are we prone to grumble about the stuff we don't have or the stuff that someone else has? 

Don't fall prey to the devil's evil schemes.  Let this prayer be on your lips today: Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever!  Amen

From January 2012.

Promises, Promises

A number of commentator noted the many promises President Trump made during his inaugural speech yesterday.  It was exciting to hear him put forward a positive vision of America.  But I would image that his critics will be all over him if he fails to deliver on the promises he made.

It caused me to reflect on Jesus and the promises we find in Him - forgiveness of all our sins...the certain hope of eternal life...His presence in the Holy Supper...answers to prayer...the Holy Spirit...new life today and for eternity...to only name a few.

While we wait to see how President Trump makes good on his promises, aren't we blessed that we have One who delivers on all His promises? Yes!

Washed Downstream

This is a devotion posted on the WELS App for January 17.  It is a short but masterful writing on what Baptism does for a person.

Titus 3:5 - He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

On November 19, 1854, the legendary Texas general, Sam Houston, was baptized.  He was known  as a brutish man, a rabble-rouser and a heavy drinker.  Apparently, his wife, Margaret, had been praying  for 14 years that he would get baptized.  As the story goes, after Sam Houston came up from the baptismal waters of a river in Texas, one of his friends said, "Well, General, all your sins have been washed away."  Houston replied, "If that be the case, God help the fish downstream...."

We could technically all say the same thing.  At our baptisms, a whole lot of filth got washed off of us.  Every sin we'd ever committed and every sin we'd commit in the future received a cleansing on that day.  That's a lot of sin.  But it's gone now.  It's washed downstream.  This washing by the Holy Spirit has saved you.  By your baptism, you've been tied into the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  You died dwith Christ and now also live with Christ.

The two words Paul uses in this verse to describe your baptism are "rebirth" and "renewal."  To be "reborn" means to be given new life.  At baptism, the "old you" was a slave to sin, but you've been set free now.  It's like you get to start your life over now as someone born into God's family.

You've also been "renewed."  You see the word new in that word.  At baptism, you were given a "new self."  This new self wants to please God and live in harmony with him.  The old self of sin wants to rebel against God, but in your baptism, that old self is drowned.  The new self now rises each day to live with Christ.

So, live every day as the reborn and renewed child of God that you are.  You've been washed clean!

It's the Friday Funny!

 A church had a picnic and invited the entire community to come. The Pastor placed a basket full of apples on one end of a table with a sign saying, "Take only one apple please - Remember that God is watching."

On the other end of the table was a plate of cookies where one of the children had placed a sign saying, "Take all the cookies you want -- God is watching the apples."

Come On In!

 This is the devotion I plan to share tomorrow at our Bible class during our service with the Lord's Supper.

            The other day a friend shared with me a story about a man who suddenly died.  Just like that, the fellow finds himself standing before St. Peter at the pearly gates.

            The fellow attempts to walk through the gates but Peter says, “Hey Buddy! Not so fast!  You need 100 points to make it into heaven.  Here’s what we’re going to do.  You tell me all the good things that you’ve done and I’ll give you a certain number of points, depending on how good it was.  When we’re done, if you’ve got at least 100 points you’re in.”

            The fellow shrugged his shoulders and said, “OK.”  He didn’t realize this is how things worked in heaven but he was willing to give it a try.  “First,” said the fellow, “I was married to the same woman for 55 years and I never cheated on her once, not even in my heart.”  St. Peter exclaimed, “That’s wonderful! That’s worth three points!”

            The fellow was taken aback.  Only three points for marital faithfulness? But he kept going.  “St. Peter, you should also know that I attended church and Bible class all my life.  And I always gave 10% of my income back to my church.  My pastor knew he could count on my tithe.”  St. Peter responded, “I’m impressed! That an additional two points!”

            Now the fellow started to sweat.  All he had was a total of five points and he was running out of good deeds to share with St. Peter.  Then he remembered something that he thought should be worth a lot of points.  “St. Peter,” said the fellow, “here’s something else I’m proud of.  I started a soup kitchen in my city.  We served over 200 meals a day!” St. Peter responded, “That’s terrific!  Another two points for you!”

            The fellow was flabbergasted.  All his good works had amounted to only seven points.  He cried out, “At this rate, the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!”  And St. Peter answered, “Come on in.”

            Well, I hope that story gave you a little chuckle.  More importantly, I hope you understand its important truth.  If there were a point system to gain entry into heaven, none of us could every amass enough points to please God.  He expects our works to be perfect.  His standard is that we keep all of his commands.  God wants nothing less than perfect holiness from us.

            Who of us can please God in that way? Not you.  Not me.  Still, there is a way for you and me to one day be welcomed through the gates of heaven.  It’s by grace, God’s grace.

            The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

            Grace – God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.  God’s riches of salvation and eternal life come to us as a free gift at Christ’s expense.  His shed blood on the cross was full payment for our failure to keep God’s commands in our life.  Through faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, all these gifts of God are yours.  You never have to worry about having St. Peter survey your life and finding out you fall short.  Jesus has made it possible for you to one day hear and accept that gracious invitation to come on in.  Praise your Lord and Savior today.

A little lighter on the bathroom scale

A week ago today I joined Weight Watchers.  I knew I needed to do something.  Pictures don't lie.  The pictures taken of me over the summer looked like I has swallowed a couple of basketballs.  T-shirts that I though hung loosely on me did not.  As much as anything they told the sad truth.  I needed to lose some weight.

I've tried to lose weight on my own.  For a couple of days I do pretty well.  But then I see the bag of chips in the pantry or the chocolate candy in the dish in the living room and I scrapped the diet.  And before I knew it I was right back eating all the stuff I wanted (but probably didn't need) and I was maintaining my regular (translated - heavy) weight.

So, I followed the Weight Watchers program.  I received my daily point total.  Some folks don't like tracking what they eat and applying the points to the food.  But it works for me.  And after one week it's working so far - down two pounds from my original weigh-in weight.

Paul says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.  I have to imagine the Spirit has been feeling pretty squeezed for a long time.  So we'll see how this week goes.  But doesn't it feel good when you're making some progress on a goal you've set?

In the meantime my new mantra is apples and carrots and grapes, oh my!

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Such an interesting term.  What does Paul mean? And what does Baptism have to do with it? Learn more at the Sunday service at Christ the Redeemer in Phoenix.  Worship starts at 9 am.  If you don't have a church then come and join us! Blessings! 

It's the Friday funny!

After service, a stranger approached the pastor and said, “I’d like you to pray for my hearing.”

The pastor touched the man’s ears and said a passionate, earnest prayer.

“How’s your hearing now?” the pastor asked.

Surprised, the man said, “Well, it’s not until tomorrow.”

Rhetorical violence in our country

I am presently reading "The Betrayal of Anne Frank."  I was only a couple of pages into the book when I came across the following two paragraphs.  They seemed to described present day conditions.

You might wonder: What is the point of questioning who betrayed Anne Frank in a war that happened so long ago? The answer is that almost eight decades since the end of the war, we seem to have grown complacent, thinking, as the Dutch once thought, that it can't happen here.  But contemporary society seems to be increasingly susceptible to ideological divisiveness and the lure of authoritarianism, forgetting the simple truth that incipient fascism metastasizes if allowed to go unchecked.

Anne Frank's world makes this clear.  What are the real tools of war? Not just physical violence but rhetorical violence.  In attempting to determine how Adolf Hitler had taken control, the US Office of Strategic Services commissioned a report in 1943 that explained his strategy: Never to admit a fault or wrong; never to accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time; blame the enemy for everything that goes wrong; take advantage of every opportunity to raise a political whirlwind.  Soon hyperbole, extremism, defamation, and slander become commonplace and acceptable vehicles of power. (page 13)

As I've pondered the above, I can't help but believe that rhetorical violence has been thrust upon our country over the past four years.  The Biden administration has never admitted a wrong, even when it was clear the Afghanistan pull out was completely botched up; blame is never accepted, a recent example is Chuck Schumer, after being confronted with visual evidence of President Biden's mental deterioration, denied that there was never anything really wrong with the President; who has been the enemy for the past four years, and even before that? Donald Trump.  Anything bad that has happened to our country is his fault alone; the J6 issue seemed to be the perfect opportunity for Democrats to create a political whirlwind.  Instead, the country basically rejected the hysteria being made, instead if having had enough of rising inflation, DEI run amok, and a world on fire in many places.  And beside, the country survived.

Since starting this blog back in 2011, I've purposedly stayed away from politics.  But the above paragraphs were frightening to me since it seems like what happened in the 1930's and 40's is happening again.  Will God grant us political and moral leaders who will prevent another catastrophe from happening - this time in our country?

2024 Reading List

Retirement gives me much more time to read and this year I polished 43 books.  I don't write this with much fanfare.  I know folks who read 75 or even 100 or more books.  Still, I made through about three and a half books a month which is pretty good.  I'm looking forward to topping my record this year.

I have come to really love a good murder mystery.  This year I discovered Anthony Horowitz, a British author who had come up with a really interesting idea for a series.  He has fashioned a former detective named Hawthorne who is something like a modern day Sherlock Holmes.  Like Holmes, Hawthorne never misses a detail and sees a crime scene differently than every one else.  The kicker is this - Horowitz has inserted himself into the stories!  Horowitz is kind of like a poor man's Dr. Watson.  All the mysteries are set in England which I like.  A sixth book in the series is supposed to come out this year so I'm looking forward to more Hawthorne/Horowitz mysteries to continue.

Another author I really enjoyed reading is Kristin Harmel.  She writes stories that are set around France in World War 2.  The stories are extremely well researched and she has an amazing ability to communicate just how difficult and heartbreaking Hitler's march into Europe was, especially for Jewish people.  I would recommend "The Winemaker's Wife," "The Paris Daughter," or "The Book of Lost Names," to get you started.

One book that was a real delight was Christopher Kennedy's "Jesus Said What?"  Kennedy takes some of the more difficult texts surrounding the earthly ministry of Jesus, ones that pastors find challenging to preach on and unpacks them.  For example, Kennedy takes Luke 14:25-30, 33 - the texts where Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."  Explain that! Well, Kennedy does so and in a very engaging way.  (You'll have to read the book to find out what Jesus is really saying).  Each chapter concludes with discussion questions so the book would be good for a Bible study group.

Other books that receive an "A" from me were: Bret Baier, "To Rescue the Constitution," Erik Larson, "Dead Wake," and "The Demon of Unrest," and the J.R. Mathis & Susan Mathis' "Penitent Priest" series.

My friend, Fred, gave me four books for Christmas so I'm starting with an author I've enjoyed reading, Daniel Silva.  I'm only a few pages into "A Death in Cornwall," but it's shaping up to be a good read.  Hope you find a least one book this year that you can't put down! 

Where do we find joy?

Here's the secret: if we seek joy for its own sake, we will not find it.  If we seek Jesus, we shall be engulfed and inundated by joy, and quite by surprise.

Matthew Harrison
"A Little Book on Joy"

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