5 Smooth Stones

The King (Saul) tried to give David some equipment.  What do you want, boy? Shield? Sword? Grenades? Rifles? A helicopter? David had something else in mind.  Five smooth stones and an ordinary leather sling.  The  soldiers gasped.  Saul sighed.  Goliath jeered.  David swung.  And God made His point.  Anyone who underestimates what God can do with the ordinary has rocks in his head!

Max Lucado, "Upwords Daily Devotional," 8/27/2015

LIFE. IN CHRIST.

Life is a form of insurance...a type of soap...a magazine.  But is that all it is?

Life is clothes, cars and lots of spending money...good grades, a starting position on the team and the lead role in the play...popularly and friends...things to do and places to go.

And yet, Jesus teaches: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  (Matt. 6:19)

Life is also the teenager who struggles in conflict with parents...the convenience store worker bored with the job...a husband, wife or parent who no longer finds joy in the vocation...the chronically ill who slide into depression and despair.

That's life?

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.  (John 11:25-26)

That's Life.  In Christ.   I am the way and the truth and the life.  (John 14:6)

But what about the things I need? Do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?"  Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matt. 6:31-33)

But what about loneliness? I will never leave you or forsake you.  (Joshua 1:5)

But what about temptation? Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  (Gal. 5:24)

But what about the things I worry about? Cast all your care on Jesus, for He cares for you.  (1 Peter 5:7)

But what about all the ways I've messed up? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (1 John 1:9)

But what about death? Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.  (Psalm 23:4)

So, in Christ, we have life? Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.  (John 17:3)

That's life.  LIFE.  IN CHRIST!

The Thursday Funny

A man told his doctor he wasn't able to do all the things around the house he used to do.  When the examination was complete, the man said, "Now, Doc.  I can take it.  Tell me in plain English: What's wrong with me?"

The doctor replied, "Well, in plain English, you're just lazy."

"Okay," said the man.  "Now give me the medical term so I can tell my wife."

We decrease...He increases

Discipleship demands that Christ comes first.  As the focus becomes sharper, our own self-importance fades.  We decrease so that He may increase.

Kurt Senske, "The Calling," page 18

With Eyes Of Faith

As I was doing some devotional reading yesterday, I was struck by these words from the Apostle Peter: Though you have not seen Him (the Lord), you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9.

How is it that Peter can write with such confidence? How is it that he can be so sure that his readers are filled with such a trusting faith in Jesus?

The explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles' Creed in Luther's Small Catechism remind us that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

The Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts and gives us the saving knowledge of Jesus as Lord and Savior.  With this faith we can trust Jesus for forgiveness and salvation, rejoice in our new life in Christ and find comfort in our Lord through all the seasons of our lives.  With the help of the Spirit, we believe in our Savior even though we do not see Him!

The psalmist Asaph speaks to this same kind of faith.  In Psalm 77, Asaph complains about the difficulties of life.  He and his people have suffered so much and, without any relief, is beginning to wonder if God has forgotten about them all.

But then Asaph begins to meditate on God's Word.  He remembers God's mighty deeds.  He recalls God's gracious help and deliverance when the people were freed Egypt's bondage.  He writes in 77:19 - Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, though Your footprints were not seen.

Faith enables us to know that God is with us even when our eyes can't see Him.  His Word assures us that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  Today, why not offer thanks to the Holy Spirit who empowers you to know and trust Almighty God even when you can't see Him.  God is with you!

Grace Upon Grace

I just began rereading John Kleinig's marvelous book Lutheran spirituality, "Grace Upon Grace." I say "Lutheran spirituality" because the focus here in on the Triune God and the Means of Grace, all of which is outside of ourselves.  Such spirituality is not dependent on the individual but on God.  He draws us closer to Himself.  Through the gifts of God, we see who we are and whose we are. It is unlike any other book about what piety is and how it impacts our lives.

It seems that I found something to mark up or highlight on every page of the book.  Right at the beginning, Kleinig defines what spiritually is:

Christian spiritually is, quite simply, following Jesus.  It is the ordinary life of faith in which we receive Baptism, attend the Divine Service, participate in the Holy Supper, read the Scriptures, pray for ourselves and others, resist temptation, and work with Jesus in our given location here on earth. By our practice of spirituality we are not raised to a higher plane above the normal, everyday, bodily life, but we receive the Holy Spirit from Christ so that we can live in God's presence each day of our lives.

Page 23

They say it's your birthday!

I've been telling people that my birthday celebration would be like any other day.  At this point in my life, I don't think I'll feel any different than yesterday.

But then I've realized that this is a special day.  A day to give thanks to God.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life and for how you have sustained this life.

Thank you, Lord, for my dear, sweet wife, three marvelous kids and seven grandkids.

Thank you, Lord, for granting me my dreams of working as a radio broadcaster and as a pastor.

Thank you, Lord, for seeing my need for a Savior and sending Your Son, Jesus, as the world's Redeemer, my Redeemer.

Thank you, Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit who has used the Means of Grace to bring me to saving faith in Jesus and for keeping me in that faith.

Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings I've received in this life (way too numerous to count).

Thank you, Lord, for the forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life.

In just these few moments of reflection, I see that this day is different from yesterday.

This is the day the Lord has made - I will rejoice in His goodness and love to me!

God is for you!

Last week I received a card from one of our members.  Actually, it was the latest in a long line of cards she has sent me over the years.  Often, her cards come at just the right time - when I'm especially stressed or ready to slip back into a deep depression.

She knows I appreciate the writing of author, Max Lucado.  So, the card I received offered much encouragement and, even more importantly, reminded me to whom I belong.

God is for you.  Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run.  Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps.  Listen for Him in the bleachers, shouting your name.  Too tired to continue? He'll carry you.  Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up.  God is for you.

From his book, "In the Grip of Grace."

Christ builds!

A pastor surprised me one day when he said, "I don't think I can build a church."  Of course not! But that doesn't keep many pastors from feeling like numerical growth in the church is up to them - their efforts, their creativity, their passion.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer takes the pressure off stressed out clergy.  His advice takes attention away from congregational statistics and attendance records:

It is not we who build.  (Christ) builds the church.  No man builds the church but Christ alone.

We must confess - He builds.  We must proclaim - He builds.  We must pray to Him - He builds.

Church - stay a church! But church, confess, confess, confess! Christ alone is your Lord; from His grace alone can you live as you are.  Christ builds.

Taken from "Treasury of Daily Prayer," pages 840-841

What to do when under stress

1) Take a deep breath

2) Say a prayer

3) Focus on serving someone at that very moment

"The Calling" by Kurt Senske, page 23

Thy will be done

Over the years I've filled my journals with quotes from the great British author and apologist, CS Lewis.  I stumbled over this truth this morning:

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy Will be done," and those to whom God says, "Thy will be done."  All that are in hell, choose it.  Without that self-choice there could be no hell.

From "The Great Divorce," page 72

MOM - Master Organizer of Mayhem

Marie Kondo has made many friends and helped many people with her book, "The Art of Tidying Up."  I've watched her show on Netflix and it's hard not to like her and some of her ideas on organizing.

But I've always been troubled by one of her rules - keep those things which bring you joy and throw out all the rest.

This bothers me because the Bible teaches us that we are to find our joy in Jesus.  Stuff that wears our or falls apart over time might replace our joy with disappointment and frustration.  We can't depend on possessions to provide joy and happiness.

So, I recommend Kristi Clover's new book to you - M.O.M. - Master of Mayhem.  Kristi writes about dealing with clutter and those precious things you have around the house and could never think of parting with.  She brings into perspective how to deal with stuff and how to organize it (chapters four and 13 are worth the price of the book.)

You'll find tips on how to clean your home; how to develop routines for keeping order on a daily and week basis; how to find solutions to stay motivated when "life" leaves you exhausted.

You, too, can be a Master Organizer of Mayhem.  Get Kristi Clover's new book.

Review copy provided by Baker Books.

When I Find Myself In Times Of Trouble...

All of us have people in our lives that have influenced us or made a lasting impression on us in some way.  Because of their faith in us or love they've shown to us, we consider such people our heroes.  We look up to them.  We admire the example they set for us.  We want to be like them.

One of my heroes is Father Tim.  I've never met him in person.  In fact, he doesn't exist - except in the pages of the Mitford series of books written by Jan Karon.

Father Tim is the pastor of the Lord's Chapel in the fictional town of Mitford, North Carolina.  Each of the Mitford books follows the life of the humble and devoted pastor as he cares for the people of his little community.  I appreciate the fact that Father Tim knows what people need the most - the Word of God.  And he uses the Psalms very effectively in his ministry.

For example, as Father Tim sought to minister to a young man who had been abandoned by his mother, he prayed Psalm 32:8b - "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

When searching for encouragement, Father Tim remembered Psalm 69:19 - "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."

To the individual near death, the first verse of Psalm 27 was Father Tim's prayer: "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"

You can't spend enough time in the Psalms.  Luther loved sitting down with his psalter.  The comfort and hope he drew from the Psalms was good medicine for those stressful and dangerous days of the Reformation.  Are you in a troubled relationship? Have life’s circumstances left you defeated and discouraged? Need to know that God cares for you even when you don’t care about yourself or your life? Turn to the Psalms.  Let God speak His words of comfort and hope to you today.

If you only knew what God knows

We can be sure our prayers are answered precisely in the way we would want them answered if we knew everything God knows.

Pastor and author Tim Keller, as quoted in Challies Blog, July 5, 2014

Come to church - encounter the Lord!

One Sunday, the pastor of a church in Florida gathered the children in front of the altar for the children's message.  He began by asking the question, "What does the word 'holy' mean?"

After pausing for a moment of two, a little girl raised her hand.  She answered, "Being holy means that you do what your mother asked you to do the first time!"

Children's messages are just one of the reasons I love being in church on Sunday.  You never know what priceless answers you just might get to one of your questions!

But the main reason I love being in the Lord's house on Sunday is because this is the place where we encounter our gracious and merciful God. 

David writes in Psalm 27: One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what is seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

In Psalm 84, a chorus sings: Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.

As the pilgrims made their way to the Temple during times of religious celebration, they would sing: I rejoice with those who said to me: 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'.

Not only is the Lord present in His house, He showers His people with rich gifts of grace - His Word of forgiveness, His very body and blood in, with and under the bread and wine of the Sacrament and the rich renewal of the Holy Spirit who comes to each of us in the Gospel.

I pray that the time you spend this week reading and meditating over God's Word leads you to exclaim on Sunday, "I love the house where You live, O Lord, the place where Your glory dwells!"

The extraordinary Jesus

(Jesus) appeared common and ordinary.  But ordinary He was not.  He lived before His incarnation, before heaven and earth, before plants, animals and mankind, He is creator of all things, the Second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God.  Jesus is after Adam but Adam's maker, after David but David's Lord, after Mary but Mary's Savior, after John but John's predecessor.  He is before all things and will remain after all things pass away.

Gere Pool, "Portals of Prayer," Jan-March 2014, 2/11/2014

Welcome to Adulting

I would have really enjoyed this book in my early 20's.  You've finally moved into adulthood.  If you've been blessed with parents who, through words and actions, taught you what being an adult was all about, good for you.  But, good parents or not, being looked upon as an adult brought with it some pressure, maybe a lot of pressure.

You're supposed to think, act, talk differently.  You suddenly realize the transition is going to be more difficult than you thought it would.  Where do you turn for help?

Johathan Pokluda's new book is a very helpful resource for 20 and 30 something adults.  Designed to be read over a six week period, "Welcome to Adulting" will provide helpful tips for dealing with anger, worry, temptation and, most importantly, growing in faith and love for Jesus.  Each chapter concludes with something to ponder and think about, a practice that will help the reader implement the idea offered, and a prayer of praise, thanksgiving and a petition for help.

This little book is inexpensive and would be a helpful gift for the growing adult you know who needs assistance and encouragement in "adulting!"

Book for review provided by Baker Books

  

Money can't buy me love...or happiness

For the past few weeks I have been working a couple of mornings a week in my new home office. I’ve moved a number of my books from my office at church to home.  I’ve also used this time to weed through files that I hadn't looked at in years.

That’s when I came across an old Sports Illustrated story about former Phillies and Mets outfielder, Lenny Dykstra.  It seems that post-retirement he became an entrepreneur of sorts and was very successful.  It was then that Dykstra got caught up in the lifestyle of the rich and famous and began shelling out enormous amounts of money for homes and cars and the like.  One telling paragraph read: "I said, OK, I know I'll be happy when I buy my own Gulfstream," says Dykstra, reflecting on the plane he purchased in 2007.  "But I got down to the end of the nose, I looked back and I said, OK, happy, come on, come on.  So it's not about the Gulfstream.  But it is about the Gulfstream.  Meaning it just wasn't as good a Gulfstream as I wanted."

Contrast that with the apostle Paul, who in writing to the Philippians had this to say: Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things who gives me strength.

How is it that Paul didn't become depressed when he had little? How did he keep from wanting to have more when he was well off? Paul had found the secret to satisfaction in his relationship with his Savior.  Knowing Christ and being known by the Lord had filled Paul's heart with a contentment and joy that he knew would never be his by having an abundance of earthly things.  Whether Paul had a lot or a little, he could live and worship and pray and serve because he could do all things through Christ who gave Him strength for living.

Satan, the world and our sinful flesh gang up on us at times and lead us to think like Lenny Dykstra.  We seek more stuff because, we are led to believe, that's where happiness and contentment is found.  Don't be fooled.  When we seek happiness in material things, we'll never be happy because there will always be one more thing that we need.  Instead, seek the "one thing needful" (Luke 10:42) - a living, growing relationship with Jesus Christ and find your happiness in the only Savior you'll ever need.

Grace Upon Grace

             Here are some interesting thoughts from Dr. John W. Kleinig in his book, “Grace Upon Grace.”

            When the people who had been miraculously fed by Jesus with five loaves of bread and two small fish asked how they could do the work of God, Jesus gave them a strange answer: He said by believing in God the Father, His work would be done in them and through them (John 6:28-29).  How then do we do the work of God through faith?  How do we become “co-workers with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:2)?  Through faith we are joined with Christ and His mission on earth; we work with Christ by using our faith to pray together with Him to God the Father.  We do not do the work of God on earth in prayer; rather, His work is done in and through us by prayer (Matthew 18:19; 21:21-22).

            In John 14:12-14, Jesus gives these amazing promises: “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater work than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.  Whatever you ask in My name, this will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

            We continue the divine work of Jesus and perform the greater miracles of the new age where those who were born blind to God receive sight and those who were once dead in sin are raised to eternal life. And we accomplish this by prayer to God the Father in the name of Jesus.

            When we pray for others and ourselves, we continue the work of Jesus.  It is, in fact, the most important work we ever do…When we pray for God’s support and guidance in our work and the people we work with, we live by His grace and rely on Him to do His work through us.

Jesus - the only Bread of LIfe

When Jesus described Himself as the Bread of Life, He had more than just floor, shortening and water in mind.  He meant His perfect life that would fulfill all of God's commands and His precious blood that would be spilt in full payment for all sins.  

The soul, famished because of sin, can feast on Jesus' payment and be filled.  The soul, hungry for a perfect life to present to God in the judgement, can reach for Jesus' righteousness and be satisfied.  For the hungry sinner, Jesus is not just good bread.  He's the only bread.

Richard Lauersdorf, "Together With Jesus," January 15 devotion.

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.

"Nice" by Susan Hodde Miller

Susan Hodde Miller is a prolific writer and speaker.  Her latest book is intriguing.  In it she talks about how their should be limits to being nice.

Don't misunderstand - Miller is not suggestion that we no longer react nicely and with kindness to those around us, whether family, friends or people.  But, Miller contends, sometimes we are nice to people when we should, instead, be courageous, honest and truthful.  Being nice may give permission to a person to exhibit bad behavior or make terrible decisions.  In those situations, speaking the truth in love is much more important that just be nice and letting the person go their own way.

In the second half of the book, Miller masterfully shows the reader how spiritual growth and trust in God can enable anyone of knowing when to be nice and when to be courageous.  It's instructive that in order to be a more authentic people, the work begins with you; then as the Lord grows you faith and love, then you are ready to start producing true kindness, courage and love to others.  It's a book worth spending time with.

Book for review provided by Baker Books

Wise words about worry

I've read numerous books on the subjects of worry and anxiety but this quote from former major league baseball player, Mickey Rivers, may be the best of all:

Ain't no sense worrying about things you got control over, because if you got control over them, ain't no sense worrying.  And there ain't no sense worrying about things you got no control over either, because if you got control over them, ain't no sense worrying,