A little more Luther

“I have no use for cranks who despise music, because it is a gift of God.  Next to theology, I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor.”

A little Luther

Someone gave me a book containing quotes by Martin Luther. I thought I would share a few for the next few days.  Here you go:

“Whenever a man reads the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is speaking to him.”

Best thing that happened to me today

My grandson, Drew, knows that I am planning to retire at the end of October.  Today he told me not to retire.  “Papa, you can’t retire.  You are so good at what you do.”

Grandkids, what a blessing!!

You Might Be a Preacher If...

My daughter, Stephanie, gave me a nifty little book for my birthday one year.  It was titled, "You Might Be a Preacher If..."  Some of the insights were pretty funny.  To these I've added a few of my own.

You might be a preacher if...

People at the wedding reception can't wait for you to leave.

Your office is "prayer conditioned."

You would rather walk on a bed of hot coals than pray "Bible Trivia Pursuit."

You've thought of serving Starbucks coffee during the coffee hour.

You've been asked what it's like to work just one day a week.

You know what a Narthex is.

You've answered a phone call at 2 am and your congregational member said, "I hope I'm not bothering you, Pastor."

You've been asked to offer a prayer for one of your members...when there are two minutes before the service.

When a person takes the communion wine and says, "That's mighty good!"

During the hymns you take a quick attendance count.

You argue with the ushers over the attendance count.

You've got a fabulous sermon on humility.

In the garden lives changed for the worst...Adam and Eve, yours and mine

 When Adam and Eve listened to Satan’s filthy whispering-worse yet, when they believed it- their lives changed for the worse.

John Jesse, “From Sinai to  Calvary” page 146

All I Needed To Know I Learned in Sunday School

Robert Fulghum is an artist, painter, sculptor, author, musician and singer.  But he is best known for his 1986 book, "All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."  The book stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years and remains a popular book to this day.  What Fulghum learned as a five-year-old struck a chord with readers.  Remember what we learned in kindergarten? 

Lessons like:

Play fair.

 Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

 Wash your hands before you eat.

(my favorite) Take a nap every afternoon.

I remember enjoying Fulghum's book and it brought back reminders of my kindergarten experience.  But some of the best memories and best lessons I ever learned from came from my time in Sunday school.  So, with apologies to Fulghum, here's "All I Needed to Know I Learned in Sunday School" by George Spicer.

Love one another.

 "Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest..."

Turn the other cheek

 "Our Father, who art in heaven..."

Jesus can do a lot with five bread loaves and two fish

 (my favorite) "Jesus loves me, this I know..."

Of course, that's not all I learned in Sunday school.  I loved learning the creation story and how God made everything.  I sat spellbound as I was taught about Adam and Eve and about Noah and the Ark and the great flood.  I felt like I really knew Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and especially Joseph and his coat of many colors and his rotten brothers.  I cheered when David dropped Goliath in his tracks.  I marveled at the wisdom of Solomon.  And best of all, I never tired of learning about Jesus (my favorite!).  Those were great days.

As parents and grandparents, we want our kids and grandkids to have a solid Biblical foundation.  What they learn as children will go with them throughout their entire lives.  Sunday school gets its start this weekend at our church.  Be sure to support the Sunday school at your church.  Make sure your kids and grandkids are plugged in.  Show them that God's Word is important to you by giving the Lord two hours of your time each Sunday for worship and study.  It's amazing what you will learn! 

A little humor for Thursday

 A pastor put sanitary hot air hand dryers in the rest rooms at his church. After two weeks he took them out. When asked why he confessed that they worked fine but when he went into the men’s room he found a sign that read, “For a sample of this week’s sermon, push the button.”

The priceless gift of God

The cost of your sin is greater than you can pay.

The gift of your God is greater than you can imagine.

John Jesse, “Connecting Sinai to Calvary” page 27

Works and faith go together

“Thus it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible to separate heat and light from fire.”

“The Calling,” page 157

Looking for people hungry for the truth

I wonder if you can relate this this poem, entitled "Fancy Dive," by author and illustrator, Shel Silverstein?

The fanciest dive that was ever done

 Was done by Melissa of Coconut Grove

She bounced on the board and flew in the air

 With a twist of her head and a flip of her hair

She did 34 jackknives, backflipped and spun

 Quadruple gainered and reached for the sun

And then somersaulted nine times and a quarter

 And looked down and saw

The pool had no water

The apostle Paul was having one of those days in Corinth (you can read about it in Acts 18).  He discovered that his hearers were not listening - they had closed their hearts and souls to the good news that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  Rather than continue to dive into a pool of water, so to speak, Paul turned the focus of His ministry to another people who were hungry for the truth.

Are you unsure about your next move? Seeking reassurance that the important decision you've recently made was the right one? The Lord spoke to Paul in a vision (Acts 18:9).  The Lord will speak to you in worship and as you daily read and reflect on His Word.  Give it a try and see if you don't receive the comfort and guidance that your Lord and Savior can give you.

What Character Does

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain...and most do.  

But it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.

Dale Carnegie, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” Page 42

Trust Him!

Saul's conversion as described in Acts, chapter nine, is one of the most amazing in all of Scripture.  On the Damascus Road the risen Christ changed Saul's life.  Before that miraculous moment of grace, Saul preached "murderous threats against the Lord's disciples."  (Acts 9:1)  After being cared for by the disciples, 9:20 reports that "At once he (Saul) began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God."  Saul had been saved by grace.  His heart is filled with joy.  He gladly and eagerly testifies that Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father.

Not everyone shared in his joy.  In 9:23 we read, "After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him (Saul).  And in 9:29 - "He (Saul) talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him."

Unfortunately, the world doesn't always share in the joy of a heart that has embraced the gracious invitation of Jesus to "Follow me!"  You might know of individuals who have received the forgiveness and salvation of Christ and, in turn, have been shunned by family members or persecuted by co-workers or been excluded from participating in neighborhood or other activities.  How about you? Have you ever been persecuted for following Jesus Christ?

Becoming a Christian does not guarantee a problem-free, stress-free life.  In fact, we might experience what it means to suffer as our Savior God suffered.  Jesus taught, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world."  Jesus has overcome every trial, every temptation you might face.  The cross and empty tomb give testimony of His victory over sin and evil.  His victory is ours.  We believe in our Savior.  He gives abundant life, eternal life.  The Lord changed Saul's life.  Through the power of the Holy Sprit, God is forming and shaping your life.  Keep on trusting and following Jesus Christ.  He will give you great, great joy - no matter how difficult life might be.  Trust Him!

Where do good works flow from

“In a manner of speaking, therefore, Luther believed the Christian had no need for a teacher of good works because they flow naturally, spontaneously, out of faith.”

From the book, “Lift High the Cross”. Page 87

Do you know your personal mission statement?

As I worked my way through Acts I was reminded of a time-management seminar I once attended.  I thought I would learn some ways to be more organized and effective.  I thought I would leave with some tools that I could use to better order my time at work.

Instead, the first thing our leader did was to have each of us write our personal mission statement.  He explained that until a person has a sense of who they are and what they have been called to do and be, time can never really be effectively utilized.  "Time is the most important commodity that anyone has," the leader said.  "But you'll never manage your time wisely until you have defined how and where you are to spend your time."

It strikes me that the Apostles did not need a time-management seminar to put down their personal mission statement.  Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they knew exactly how and where they were to invest their time.  Chapter five, verse 42 says it all: Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Christ's followers received their marching orders at Bethany from the Savior Himself - Go and make disciples of all nations.  Fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit, they witnessed to the truth of Jesus' resurrection and salvation to whomever - unbelieving Pharisees and the curious citizens of Jerusalem.  Later on, when severe persecution came upon them, Christ's disciples continued to speak boldly the good news that had changed their lives.  Stephen's testimony in chapters six and seven is amazing and powerful.

With God's help, may we be as focused on our mission as were the first disciples of the Lord.  We've got good news to share!

And the Lord added to their numbers daily

I've been reading through the book of Acts the past couple of weeks and I was struck by the fact that Luke states his purpose for writing right at the beginning.  But you will receive power, says Jesus, when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will receive my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Did Luke have good news to report? Acts is full of good news:

So the Word of God spread.  The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.  Acts 8:7

Then the church...enjoyed a time of peace.  It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers.... Acts 12:24

But the Word of God continued to increase and spread.  Acts 16:5

In this way the Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.  Acts 19:20

Luke tells a powerful and exciting story of how the church grew through the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God.  The church grew despite of terrible persecution from the enemies of the cross; it grew by bringing Jews and Gentiles together to share a common faith in Christ; it grew in ever-widening circles, just as the Lord had taught.

It is even fair to say that the book of Acts is still being written today.  The Holy Spirit is strengthening the Church through Word and sacraments.  We have the great privilege of being witnesses who can tell the story of how Christ saved us through the Gospel of forgiveness and life.  May the Holy Spirit encourage us to tell the good news of Jesus to our communities and world!  

Saturday humor

Three young boys were walking home and arguing over whose father was the greatest.  The first boy said, "My dad is the greatest because he is president of the town bank."  The second boy stated, "That is pretty good but my daddy owns two grocery stores in town."  The third boy exclaimed, "That's nothing! My dad's a preacher and he owns hell!  He came home last night and told my mom that the Church Council gave it to him!"

You did good, God!

My dear, sweet wife and I have become big fans of the Hallmark Channel series, "When Calls the Heart."  The series is somewhat based on the books of Janette Oke and focuses on a school teacher and the community she lives in which is located in the northern Canadian frontier. 

I had read that the tv series deviated quite a bit from Oke's books so I decided to take a look for myself.  I just finished reading the first novel and it was one of those "can't put it down" kind of books.

Oke is a wonderful, descriptive writer who transports you into the school teacher, Elizabeth's life.  Elizabeth is sent to the middle of nowhere to teach a community of children.  This "city girl" is determined to adapt to her new lifestyle.  She learns not to fear coyotes or give the mice the upper hand in her home.  Elizabeth also falls in love - with the children she teaches and a certain Mountie where love is truly at first sight.

One of the boys Elizabeth teaches is named Andy.  He is cheerful and well loved by his class.  But he is sickly and suffers from a brain tumor.  The children and community raise the money needs so that Andy can undergo surgery but the young lad does not survive.  

Later, the community comes together for a Memorial Service for Andy.  As they walk out to the cemetery, Elizabeth is overcome with emotion.  And this is how Oke describes what Elizabeth is feeling:

I cried then, the great sobs shaking my whole body.  I remembered the last time that I had wept, and how the little boy in my embrace had reached up awkwardly, and yet tenderly, to brush away my tears.  "You did good, teacher," he had whispered.  And now that small boy had passed beyond - so young to journey on alone.  But then I remembered that he hadn't traveled alone - not one step of the way, for as soon as the loving hands released him here, another Hand had reached out to gently take him.  I tried to visualize him entering that new Land, the excitement and eagerness shining forth on his face, the cheers raising from the shrill little voice.  There would be no pain twisting his face now, no need to hold his head and rock back and forth.  Joy and happiness would surround him.  I could almost hear his words as he looked at the glories of heaven and gave the Father his jubilant ovation - "You did good, God; You did real good!"

I loved her reference to Psalm 23:4 and her description of how God makes all things new for those who enter His kingdom.  Andy would no longer struggle or suffer with his health.  Instead, he would have all eternity to marvel at the goodness of a loving God who keeps His promise that all who believe in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life.  And that is our hope too.

Thou shalt not kill!

Sunday starts in a couple of weeks at Life in Christ.  As I was going through some old files I came across this humorous story.  It goes like this...

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.  After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"  Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "Thou shalt not kill!"

Join us for Sunday school beginning August 22 at 9:30 am at Life in Christ!

Taking a stroll at Abbey Road

On August 8, 1969, the Beatles took a break from recording to shoot the cover photo for their new album.  That album became Abbey Road, the best selling Beatles album in the USA.  But, as you can see, the Beatles are not the only ones having their picture taken at the famous cross walk.

Sherri and I were there on a Saturday just having finished up a walking tour of Beatles sites.  A young lady who was spending the summer studying in London was kind enough to take our picture.  Notice that I'm not wearing shoes, a la Paul McCartney.

Good news for a Friday!

It was the question of the rich young ruler of Matthew, chapter 19.  It's the question many people ask today, in the post-modern, post-Christian world of ours: "What good thing must I do to be saved?"

The apostle Paul's answer is not what most people expect.  Paul writes to the Ephesians that our salvation is not a matter of do but done.  Take a good look at Ephesians 2:8-9.  Note that we are saved by...

Grace along through

Faith alone in 

Jesus Christ alone without any

Works of our own

Even the good works we might do in order to try and impress God are not our own.  Paul writes that God prepared those good works in advance for us to do.  Such works flow from a heart filled with gratitude for God's free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus.

This is good news! Eternity is not dependent on heeding the advice from the latest self-help guru or doing an extreme makeover upon yourself so that you meet the expectations of our post-Christian world.  Trust Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation.  He offers His gifts without strings attached.  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.  Good news indeed!

His footprints are so big

Richard E. Lauersdorf is my favorite devotional writer.  His book, "Together with Jesus," helps me start my day where it needs to start - with a thought about my Savior.  Today's devotion, based on 1 Peter 2:21, included these wonderful words:

I don't have to match Christ's footsteps when it comes to my salvation.  They are just too big and deep for anyone to do that.  And it is not necessary.  When Peter wrote "Christ suffered for you..." He was referring to a done deal.  Christ took that deep step down from heaven, that giant step up to the cross, that horrible step into hell's suffering, and that victorious step out of the grave, He took steps that only God could, and because He did, my salvation is complete.  I don't even have to walk to heaven; the Savior will carry me.

From the devotion for August 5. 

Love is all you need

Down through the ages, many people have tried to define "love."

"Love conquers all."  Virgil

"Love is the only gold."  Alfred, Lord Tennyson

"Who loves believes the impossible."  Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"The first duty of love is to listen."  Paul Tillich

"Faults are thick where love is thin."  An English proverb

"What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork."  Pearl Bailey

Then we have 1 Corinthians 13, what some Christians commonly call "the love chapter of the Bible."  Since love itself is indefinable, the apostle Paul describes how love manifests itself.  When directed toward others - spouse, children, family, friends, strangers - love is forgiving and self-giving.  No doubt, as Paul was describing the fruits of love, he surely had Christ Jesus in mind.  Through faith, dear reader, you have been "caught up" in the love of Christ.  To whom can you show this love to today?

Be Strong and Courageous

Paul had every reason to be afraid.  He had spent the day before the high Jewish court.  Paul's bold testimony about the risen Jesus has filled the members of the court with hatred and rage.  It was this group that orchestrated the death of Jesus.  They have the power to do the same to Paul.  His life hangs in the balance.

While chained and under guard in the barracks, the Lord suddenly appeared to Paul.  The apostle hears the words that the Lord utters to those who are afraid: "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome (Acts 23:11b).

Paul receives reassurance that his mission is not going to end in Jerusalem.  The Lord has another place where Paul will proclaim the good news of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus - Rome, the seat of the world's power in that day.

The Lord's comforting words remind us of another time when the disciples were filled with fear.  Read Mark 6:45-52.  The disciples were out on the water, caught in the middle of a violent storm.  It was all they could do to keep the boat afloat.  Exhausted from their struggle, the disciples were filled with fear as they saw what they thought was a ghost walking on the water.  Instead, it was the Lord they saw.  "Take courage! It is I.  Don't be afraid."  And as the Lord climbed into the boat, the winds died down.  They relaxed.  The Lord was with them.

The Lord is with you each day.  He is present always, until the end of the age.  (Matthew 28:20)  The next time you are afraid, remember the words God spoke to Joshua.  These words apply to you as well: "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."