This Sunday we'll look at Matthew 25 and the story of the 10 virgins. We'll also learned the importance of being prepared. Come and join us at either 8 or 10:45 am.
This afternoon at 5 pm, Holy Communion will be celebrated and Pastor Dave Darling will proclaim God's Word. Hope you'll join us this weekend at LICL!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Down on the Farm
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Blessed by the Today's Light Bible
For years I've used CPH's "Today's Light Bible," with devotions by Jane Fryer as my resource for daily Bible reading and meditation. Fryer's devotions are worth the price of the book. I was greatly encouraged by this devotion as Fryer wrote about Abraham and Sarah. In part, she wrote:
How like us - to think that somehow God can't or won't keep His Word, especially when we don't see Him fulfill His promises right away. How like God - to come to us, not with words of rebuke but of grace.
God asserts a remarkable truth to Abram and Sarai by changing their names. These desert nomads with dust in their sandals were, in reality, His royal children. Kings would come from Abraham. Sarai was now Sarah - "princess."
How like us - to think that somehow God can't or won't keep His Word, especially when we don't see Him fulfill His promises right away. How like God - to come to us, not with words of rebuke but of grace.
God asserts a remarkable truth to Abram and Sarai by changing their names. These desert nomads with dust in their sandals were, in reality, His royal children. Kings would come from Abraham. Sarai was now Sarah - "princess."
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
The importance of being simple
Some people love to play God.
God doesn't understand what marriage is all about. Let's change it. God doesn't get that it's my body and I can do what I want. Let's abort it. God doesn't realize that when I have a terminal illness then I be able to die with dignity. Let's end it.
We live in a post-modern culture where my truth is just as good as your truth and as long as I'm not hurting you I should be able to do whatever I want.
The problem is that the new normal about marriage hurts me. The problem with the new normal about life and death hurts me.
What to do? Dietrich Bonhoeffer has a suggestion.
To be simple is to fix one's eyes solely on the simple truth of God at a time when all concepts are being confused, distorted and turned upside down.
We can take our cues from the world or we can take them from the Word.
Know the simple truth of God's Word that makes so much sense in a world that seems more confused every day. Trust in the power and authority of that Word. It gives peace in the midst of chaos and leads to eternal life.
Remember the KISS principle? Keep It Simple and...well, you know the rest.
Bonhoeffer reminds us that our hope is in the simple and solid truth of God's Word. Let it be your soul's anchor, today and forever.
God doesn't understand what marriage is all about. Let's change it. God doesn't get that it's my body and I can do what I want. Let's abort it. God doesn't realize that when I have a terminal illness then I be able to die with dignity. Let's end it.
We live in a post-modern culture where my truth is just as good as your truth and as long as I'm not hurting you I should be able to do whatever I want.
The problem is that the new normal about marriage hurts me. The problem with the new normal about life and death hurts me.
What to do? Dietrich Bonhoeffer has a suggestion.
To be simple is to fix one's eyes solely on the simple truth of God at a time when all concepts are being confused, distorted and turned upside down.
We can take our cues from the world or we can take them from the Word.
Know the simple truth of God's Word that makes so much sense in a world that seems more confused every day. Trust in the power and authority of that Word. It gives peace in the midst of chaos and leads to eternal life.
Remember the KISS principle? Keep It Simple and...well, you know the rest.
Bonhoeffer reminds us that our hope is in the simple and solid truth of God's Word. Let it be your soul's anchor, today and forever.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
The temptation to play God is awfully great.
We want to be in control. We want to call the shots, so to speak.
We didn't choose our parents. Had no control over that. But as soon as we can, we try and wrestle control and authority away from those who God had given it to - parents, teachers, pastors,coaches, those who protect us and care for us.
Our sinful human nature strives for this. We believe that we know what's best for ourselves, our life and our death.
Death on our terms. That's how a person dies with dignity.
I've sat by the bedside of the dying. I've looked on as spouses and children and friends spent last moments together - laughing, crying, singing, supporting one another.
I've marveled at the sick and suffering, those who would have never thought about ending their own life. Instead, they lived until the very end, trusting that the God who gave them life and then also gave them eternal life through faith in Jesus would be with them until they fell asleep.
Some would say, "It's easy for you to write these words - you aren't suffering from a terminal disease. You're not facing death."
No, I'm not suffering from cancer or heart disease or ALS or any of those things. Thank God for His grace and mercy. As of today, I am pretty healthy and enjoy a pretty good life.
But I'm facing death. And so are you.
In my case, I don't know when my death will come.
But it's coming. So I trust God with my life and my death.
I trust God because He has something better in store for me. Jesus said, "In this life you will have trouble." Like everything else Jesus said, He's right.
But the faithful God has seen me through every trouble and every trial. Who knows how much He has spared me from that which I'm not even aware of.
And God gave me a Savior who has defeated death. That's what Easter Sunday is all about. Death couldn't keep Jesus in the grave. His victory over death is my victory. Because He lives I too will live.
Death is our enemy. It was never God's plan for death to be a part of His creation.
But because Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be God, they disobeyed the Word of God and ushered sin and death into the world.
Jesus dealt with the death question.
So I will let him deal with my death whenever it comes.
This past Sunday was All Saints Sunday. It's the day we remember those in our church family who fell asleep in Jesus during the past year.
We were also reminded of what God thinks of those who die trusting in Him until the end: Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord" from now on.
Such a wonderful Word of comfort for those who grieve.
It's a promise that we all can hang on to.
I don't want to die with dignity, acting like God, planning the details of my death.
I want to "die in the Lord," trusting in His promises, believing that my Redeemer lives and that in eternity I will see God - forever.
We want to be in control. We want to call the shots, so to speak.
We didn't choose our parents. Had no control over that. But as soon as we can, we try and wrestle control and authority away from those who God had given it to - parents, teachers, pastors,coaches, those who protect us and care for us.
Our sinful human nature strives for this. We believe that we know what's best for ourselves, our life and our death.
Death on our terms. That's how a person dies with dignity.
I've sat by the bedside of the dying. I've looked on as spouses and children and friends spent last moments together - laughing, crying, singing, supporting one another.
I've marveled at the sick and suffering, those who would have never thought about ending their own life. Instead, they lived until the very end, trusting that the God who gave them life and then also gave them eternal life through faith in Jesus would be with them until they fell asleep.
Some would say, "It's easy for you to write these words - you aren't suffering from a terminal disease. You're not facing death."
No, I'm not suffering from cancer or heart disease or ALS or any of those things. Thank God for His grace and mercy. As of today, I am pretty healthy and enjoy a pretty good life.
But I'm facing death. And so are you.
In my case, I don't know when my death will come.
But it's coming. So I trust God with my life and my death.
I trust God because He has something better in store for me. Jesus said, "In this life you will have trouble." Like everything else Jesus said, He's right.
But the faithful God has seen me through every trouble and every trial. Who knows how much He has spared me from that which I'm not even aware of.
And God gave me a Savior who has defeated death. That's what Easter Sunday is all about. Death couldn't keep Jesus in the grave. His victory over death is my victory. Because He lives I too will live.
Death is our enemy. It was never God's plan for death to be a part of His creation.
But because Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be God, they disobeyed the Word of God and ushered sin and death into the world.
Jesus dealt with the death question.
So I will let him deal with my death whenever it comes.
This past Sunday was All Saints Sunday. It's the day we remember those in our church family who fell asleep in Jesus during the past year.
We were also reminded of what God thinks of those who die trusting in Him until the end: Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord" from now on.
Such a wonderful Word of comfort for those who grieve.
It's a promise that we all can hang on to.
I don't want to die with dignity, acting like God, planning the details of my death.
I want to "die in the Lord," trusting in His promises, believing that my Redeemer lives and that in eternity I will see God - forever.
Monday, November 3, 2014
We have a Savior who can sympathize with us!
In rereading a familiar text - John 11:17-37 - this morning, I made the following observations:
In verse 20, there is a role reversal - it's Martha who is with Jesus instead of Mary.
But in verse 28, Jesus calls for Mary.
In verse 32 it's Mary who has the complaint (remember when Jesus visited Martha and Mary? Martha complained about her sister who wasn't helping her). But notice Mary's posture - she kneels in worship. And her complaint expresses her faith in Jesus - "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died." (Yes, Martha expressed the same complaint - but also in faith).
I was also struck by Martha's faith:
verse 22 - I know that whatever you ask from God...
verse 24 - I know that (my brother) will rise again in the resurrection...
verse 27 - I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God...
I know...I know...I believe.
But I was also struck by Christ's compassion. He did not wait on Mary to come to Him; He called for her. He was moved by those who were mourning Lazarus' passing. He wept.
We do have a Savior who can sympathize with us! And because He is the resurrection and the life, what He did for Lazarus, He will do for us. On the Last Day all the dead will be raised and those who trusted in Jesus for forgiveness, new life, and salvation will be gathered by the Lord and ushered into heaven.
This is good news for a Monday!
In verse 20, there is a role reversal - it's Martha who is with Jesus instead of Mary.
But in verse 28, Jesus calls for Mary.
In verse 32 it's Mary who has the complaint (remember when Jesus visited Martha and Mary? Martha complained about her sister who wasn't helping her). But notice Mary's posture - she kneels in worship. And her complaint expresses her faith in Jesus - "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died." (Yes, Martha expressed the same complaint - but also in faith).
I was also struck by Martha's faith:
verse 22 - I know that whatever you ask from God...
verse 24 - I know that (my brother) will rise again in the resurrection...
verse 27 - I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God...
I know...I know...I believe.
But I was also struck by Christ's compassion. He did not wait on Mary to come to Him; He called for her. He was moved by those who were mourning Lazarus' passing. He wept.
We do have a Savior who can sympathize with us! And because He is the resurrection and the life, what He did for Lazarus, He will do for us. On the Last Day all the dead will be raised and those who trusted in Jesus for forgiveness, new life, and salvation will be gathered by the Lord and ushered into heaven.
This is good news for a Monday!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
All Saints Sunday
This is that Sunday in the church year where we remember all those who were called home to rest in Jesus. They have joined that great host of saints who await the Last Day when Jesus shall return in all His power and glory. Until then we wait patiently for the Lord.
Come and join us for worship this Sunday at 8 am and 10:45 am. Classes for all ages will meet at 9:20 am. Or be here this afternoon for our Saturday worship at 5 o'clock. We'll see you at LICL!
Come and join us for worship this Sunday at 8 am and 10:45 am. Classes for all ages will meet at 9:20 am. Or be here this afternoon for our Saturday worship at 5 o'clock. We'll see you at LICL!
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