Jesus - your friend

Jesus comes not as a guest who wants to visit but as a friend who wants to stay.  And when He does, great are the blessings that He brings for our faith.

Richard E. Lauersdorf, "Together with Jesus," January 28 

God is there is the struggle and the pain

 Meyer Minute for January 28

 

“Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18), but we won’t experience that fully until the other side. On this side of heaven everyone, God’s people included, have fears. The “Faith and Film Festival” at Concordia Seminary includes a short film, “Ten Meter Tower.” You see normal people facing the fear of jumping into a swimming pool from a ten-meter tower, almost 33 feet high. Seeing normal people, they weren’t divers, struggle with an inconsequential fear invites us to reflect. How do I wrestle with my fears?

 

The word “fear” isn’t used in Genesis 32:22-32 when Jacob wrestles with an unnamed “man,” but who wouldn’t be afraid when you’re suddenly attacked? And we are attacked by all sorts of scary things, Covid-19, harmful moods, financial problems, changes in relationships, and on and on until the final fearful thing, death. “And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ And he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

 

God lowers Himself to engage a human being, and not engage through conversation but to pull a man into struggle. Is God in the fearful things you’re struggling with? In your struggles, are you really wrestling with God? Whether your struggle traces back to sinful mistakes you’ve made, to the devil, or to God Himself, God certainly is in your fearful struggle, God for you, not against you, with you in His suffering and finally triumphant Son (Romans 8:31-32). Whatever you’re wrestling with, hang on to God and quote Jacob repeatedly, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

 

When “we cannot understand why we have to keep on waiting, why God does not take away the pain and suffering, it is then—yes, especially then—that God’s baptismal pledge to us holds true: his promise to be with us and to go with us. His promise gives strength to hold up….” (Oswald Bayer, “In Trouble and in Good Heart,” a sermon by Oswald Bayer).

From Dr. Dale Meyer's Facebook page

I Love You, O Lord, My Strength!

It took place 21 years ago.  I remember it as if it happened yesterday.  The St. Louis Rams had just won the Super Bowl and quarterback Kurt Warner was being interviewed.  His words would be going out to a worldwide audience.  The interviewer asked, "Kurt, tell us how you felt after throwing the game-winning touchdown to Isaac Bruce?"

Warner responded, "The first thing I've got to do is praise my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!'

Wow! What an uncommon athlete.  Warner gave glory to God rather than seek glory and acclaim for himself.  That's what David does in Psalm 18.

The subscription to this Psalm gives the reason for the writing of this song.  David was hunted by his enemies with the same intensity that a rabid fan might seek an extra ticket to the Super Bowl.  King Saul, filled with jealously and rage, brought the power of the kingdom against Dave and his small group of followers.  Each time, God thwarted Saul's plans to destroy David.  The evil king could never defeat the one - David - God had chosen to lead His people.

David responds by writing a majestic song of praise to his Lord.  He points to God's grace as the reason for his many escapes and triumphs.  David takes no credit for outfoxing Saul.  He does not boast of having a superior intelligence or battle tactics.  He sings, "I love you, O Lord, my strength."  To the very end of the psalm, David keeps pointing to the grace and mercy of God as the reason for his success.

What has God surprised you with His grace? When did you experience His grace in an extraordinary way? Was it when He sustained you through a difficult experience? Was it when He removed you from a painful situation? Read Psalm 18 sometime this week.  Think about the song of praise you could sing to the Lord.  Here's the opening line to your first verse - "I love You, O Lord, my strength!" 

 

Jesus cleanses us inside and out

 We put on good outward appearances.  Even pagans usually appear to be nice people.  But the secret sins within us trouble and perplex us most.  The wicked thoughts, the unspoken jealousies, the unexpressed anger, the secret, ungodly desires.  These are the sins that gnaw away at us.  These are the sins that keep us awake at night.

 Jesus came to wash away our sins, all our sins: our sins others can see and also the sins we can only see.  Psalm 51:7 says, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." Through faith in His death and resurrection, we are made clean by Jesus, inside and out.

"Portals of Prayer," Monday, January 25.

A Word of Encouragement About Brotherly Love

 Ever been on the receiving end of brotherly love? I've got a story of how I was blessed when some brothers in Christ came to my rescue and saved my back!  Find "Words of Encouragement" on the Life in Christ Lutheran Church Facebook page beginning this morning at 8 am.  Check it out!

Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens

 As I pray dear Jesus, heal me; Let Your Words in me take root

May Your Spirit e-er be near me, That I bear abundant fruit

 May I daily sing Your praise, From my heart glad anthems raise

Till my highest praise is given, In the endless joy of heaven.

Lutheran Service Book 589, verse 4

 

The gift of confession

 So how do we get the log our of our own eye (Luke 6:42)? One word: confession.  The word confession comes from a Greek word that means "to say the same word."  In Confession, we say the same word that God says.  God's Word says that we are sinful from birth, that we live in sin moment by moment, day by day.  That's the diagnosis, the log in our eye.  And we agree, God's judgment is true.  But God takes the log our of our eye by forgiving our sins day by day, moment by moment, for Jesus' sake, through His sacrificial death on the cross and His victorious resurrection.  The log is gone.  Through the gift of Confession, we can say with certainty and joy that we are God's forgiven children.

From "Portals of Prayer," January 18

What were 2nd century Christians like?

 How were 2nd century Christians seen? How does the public view 21st century believers.  That's the focus for this week's "Words of Encouragement."  Watch this video devotion at 8 am each Monday on Life in Christ Lutheran Church Facebook page.

The Friday Funny - Creative Teaching Backfires

 A Lutheran pastor who served a deaf congregation fumbled through his sermons weekly.  Although he had a good background in sign language, the pastor did not know the sign for "testament."  So every time he referred to a Scripture verse, he had to spell out the word "Old" or "New" and then the word "Testament."

 One Sunday morning the pastor got creative and invented a sign for the missing word.  When he read from the Psalms, he signed "Old" and then made the sign for the letter T.  The congregation giggled.  Then when he read from Luke, he signed "New" and did the same T sign.  Again the congregation giggled.

 After the service some of the parishioners were still giggling as they greeted the pastor.  Finally, a member told him: "Do you know what you read today? You read lessons from the old and new toilet."

Stumbling blocks in our lives serve a purpose

 "As a darkroom is necessary to develop film, so at times God necessarily allows falling rocks to turn us to Him in humble repentance and cry to Him for undeserved help."

"Together with Jesus" devotional, October 21

Grace Explained - Words of Encouragement for 1/11/2021

 How would you explain the word, "grace" to another person.  I will use a golf trophy to tell of the greatness of the grace of God.  Join me for more Monday at 8 am on Facebook.  Check out our Facebook page - Life in Christ Lutheran Church - and have a blessed week.

Where is the power in prayer?

 Jesus also bid His disciples to pray.  The power of prayer is not as much in your speaking as it is in God's listening.  Implicit in prayer is the promise that God hears you and responds.  When you are overcome by anxiety, you can cast your cares upon your Lord and Savior, confident that He will carry the burden and lighten the load.

"Hope When Your Heart Breaks," page 192

A Prayer for Peace

 Almighty God, Lord of harmony and peace, who sets the limits and boundaries of the nations and marks the paths of history in Your wisdom, justice, and goodness, cause all strife and misunderstanding to cease, and grant peace to our nation.  We are all the children of Your creation and of Your love, and You have sent Christ Jesus to this world of sin and wickedness to redeem each one of us living on this earth.  You have offered to all of us the Gospel of forgiveness and reconciling peace through the precious blood of Your dear Son.

 Grant all of us the grace to accept Your terms of reconciliation, and let me, too, enjoy the forgiveness of all my sin.  I ask You, because of Your pardon to us, to make us forgiving, thoughtful and considerate of one another.  Grant that we may live side by side in quietness and peace, recognizing that each one of us has rights and privileges given to us by You in Your goodness of heart.  Teach me to look on others as fellow redeemed and permit them to enjoy those blessings that I want as my own.

 Make our nation a righteous nation and us citizens a law-abiding and moral people.  Grant health and strength and wisdom to those in authority and prevent godless and wicked people from corrupting our land.  From day to day grant me the grace to live peaceably with those in my community, at work, at the church, and with my friends, that my conduct and speech may give honor to You and Your Son Jesus Christ, my Savior.  Amen.

Check out W of E..."Tongue Tied"

 Ever have moments when you sat down to pray and were seemingly "tongue tied?" Today's Words of Encouragement has a tip for you to consider.  Go to the Life in Christ Lutheran Church Facebook page and see today's devotion.  You just might find some help when you have trouble forming the words to pray to the Lord.  

Have a blessed week!

On the reading of many books - 2020 edition

 Each year I set a reading goal of 24 books.  I'm glad to say that I reached the goal.  But it was a bit of a struggle.

 It was hard to get reading time in with the coronavirus being all consuming.  Time I usually had to get cozy in my recliner with book in hand (or in some cases an ebook) was taken up by recording online services, contacting members over the phone to find out about their wellbeing, reading the daily reports from the Arizona Department of Health Services and just generally trying to hold our church together while weathering all the ramifications of the pandemic.

I read three books in December to reach my goal, which is a bit amazing since December is one of my busiest time of the year.  Lately I've had a hard time sleeping so I used that time to get in a bit of reading.

Here are the titles of several books I highly recommend:

"Loving Isaac" by Heather Kaufman is the story about an abused mother and her autistic son.  Kaufman presents the many challenges of raising an autistic child.  The story is captivating from the very first page.  Isaac's mother receives compassion from her sister and others.  The book illustrates how people in the church, although well meaning, can often add stress to the parent of an autistic child with suggestions that are hurtful and show ignorance.  The story took a number of turns I did not expect which caused me to wonder, "What's next."  In the end, "Loving Isaac," is a wonderful story of redemption motivated by God's love.  The book is published by Concordia Publishing House.

"Make Your Bed," by Admiral William McRaven was adapted from a speech given to graduates of University of Texas.  McRaven writes of the lessons he learned while in training to be a Navy seal.  McRaven wrote the book for people going through tough or challenging times, which made it the perfect read for this year.  A member from church recommended this book and I'm glad she did.  It's a short read but you might find some ideas you can carry with you the rest of your life.

"Lou Gehrig - The Lost Memoir" by Alan Goff was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.  My dear, sweet wife bought this book for my birthday,  It was sweet of her to do so but I thought I knew the Gehrig story very well.  Turns out I didn't.  The first half of the book is a series of articles Gehrig wrote during the baseball season.  I was struck by his tone and attitude, being about 180 degrees from today's self-absorbed modern athletes.  Gehrig was humble, playing down his own achievements while making every other ballplayer he wrote about sound like a superstar.  The second half was more biography and was very well researched.  I wouldn't have bought it myself but I'm glad Sherri did.  One of the best books I read in 2020.

I finally took the time to explore the "books" app on my phone and was surprised at the number of free books available.  I found several fictional "first in a series" books to read.  It's so easy when you have a few minutes of free time to grab your phone and get into a book.  I'm sure many of you are reading this and thinking, "Duh!" I'm looking forward to reading more ebooks on my phone in the new year.

How about you? Do you enjoy reading? I found that getting into a good book was a great way of leaving behind the pandemic if only for a little while.  Try it! I hope you find some good books to read in 2021.

Resolve to be people of the Word

 

A blessed New Year to you all!

 

Talk about new beginnings.  My youngest daughter and her family brought home yesterday a pure bread Golden Retriever.  As cute as a puppy can be.  Our dog, Jake, was mildly interested in Margot. Now, he’s just plain annoyed😊.  Not a good way to start a new year.

 

Annoyed…frustrated…upset…angry…those are just a few of the words that describe our feelings for 2020.  Our lives changed significantly.  A mask become a part of our ensemble.  Distance between people was expected.  Shopping’s priority was cleaning and paper products.  Fear was felt as we ventured out to shop or be caught in large crowds.  Even church was off limits for those who had concerns about catching the virus.

 

Despite all this, God’s people still hungered for the Word and Supper.  We established an online service after we went on hiatus and viewership exceeded our expectations.  We held brief communion services with groups of six to eight and the slots filled up quickly.  “Zoom” Bible studies served the needs for those who wanted to dig further into the Scriptures.  And the virus did not stop all of you, our Prayer Team, from asking the Lord to have mercy on the sick and dying.  For me, all of the above will be what I remember most from 2020.

 

God’s Word cannot be hindered.  For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.  (Isaiah 55:10-11)

 

Many people make resolutions at the new year.  Most of these focus on self-improvement, i.e. losing weight, giving up smoking or cutting back on snacking, etc.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to get in better shape.  Nothing at all.

 

But, as disciples of Jesus, let’s resolve to be people of God’s Word.  Resolve to read a verse, a few verses, a chapter in the Bible each day.  Use the Psalms as your prayer book.  Memorize your favorite Bible verses.  Attend a Bible study – on campus or online.  Share an insight from the Scriptures with a friend.  Make "Treasuring God’s Word” or “Portals of Prayer” a daily habit.  Jesus taught: Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it. (Luke 11:28) 

 

Don’t despair.  Even though we start 2021 the same way we ended 2020 we are people of hope.  The Lord has cleansed us in baptism.  He has fortified us with His Word.  He comes near with His forgiveness in the Supper.  The Lord is with us!  God’s best to you in the coming year!

Resolve!

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."  Colossians 3:1-2 ESV

 

Forget the New Year's traditions that hang on luck and whose resolutions highlight more self-improvement.  Instead, resolve to deepen your restored relationship with God our Lord and Father, God our Redeemer and Friend, and God your Comforter and Guide! Resolve to feed your faith daily with His Holy Word.  Resolve to gain understanding from His learned teachers who open the treasures of heaven found in its pages.  Resolve to gather in the communities of His faithful family.  Resolve to show the proof of His activity in your changed life.

 The lost will seek Christ's mercy and grace in us.  Resolve to be readily available - we meet them every day.  Time is running out.

Christine Wentzel, "Resolve," "Time of Grace" devotional, January 1