It was a "good" friday

Yesterday was my final day of work at Life in Christ.  For the past three weeks I've been slowly cleaning out my office.  Books not going home were delivered to Goodwill and Savers.  Files were combed through, taking some home and shredding the rest.  As I looked around my office it began to look like it did when I moved into it 13 years ago.

I went out to lunch with our office staff and a few other folks for soup and salad at Olive Garden.  While there we discovered that our server was a Christian who hadn't really connected with a church.  She asked if she could bring her grandchildren to church with her.  Everyone at our table began to tell the server that LICL was a great church, had a place for her and her grandchildren and had warm and friendly people who would greet her.  I was so proud of them.  Their enthusiasm was off the charts and we're praying this nice woman will come sometime to worship with us.

Then in the evening, my family celebrated my anniversary.  I walked in the door to my oldest daughter's house to see a banner, "The Legend has Retired!"  We had a delicious dinner with pasta and steak, my favorites.  My dear, sweet wife gave me a new set of golf clubs.  I was told that if I needed to make excuses for a poor shot or bad round of golf, I could not blame the clubs! My kids gave me a gift card to play the TPC course in Scottsdale - a bucket list item.  I couldn't not believe their generosity.  God has blessed me with a loving and caring family.

Today, I head down to church to practice with The Beatitudes, a great group of guys.  We're playing a few songs tomorrow during my retirement celebration.  At 1 pm, I'll picked up the guest speaker for our services at 8 and 10 am.  Rev. Dr. Glenn Nielsen gave the message at my ordination and installation service.  Tomorrow he will speak at my retirement service.  He had the first word almost 25 years ago; on Sunday he'll get the last word.  Then later in the afternoon, our dear friends, Dan and Janelle Berteau will join us.

I really don't feel worthy of all this attention.  But I am grateful to God for surrounding me with a loving family and caring congregation.  I am blessed.

Friday Funny #509

A pastor, an avid golfer, was once taking part in a local tournament.  As he was preparing to tee off, the organizer of the tournament approached him and pointed to the dark, threatening storm clouds which were gathering.

"Preacher," the organizer said, "I trust you'll see to it that the weather won't turn bad on us."

The pastor shook his head.  "Sorry" he replied, "I'm in sales, not management."

Don't fuss over your hair!

Andree Seu Peterson, writing in the October 9th edition of "World Magazine," writes about a gigantic step she took in her life - she stopped coloring her hair.  As she puts it, "So I finally defused the power of the terror by throwing down the gauntlet: 'Come and get me, gray! I'm ready for ya'."

I took a similar step about 10 years ago although it had nothing to do with the color of my hair.  It was, in my opinion something more serious - the lack of my hair.

For a time I was recording a five minute weekly radio devotion on a local station.  The manager was a good friend of mine.  We went back a long way.  But when I walked into his office, I was taken aback - he had cut his hair down to the scalp.  "Best decision I ever made," was his answer when I asked why he would do such a thing.  But the deal was this - he looked pretty good.

I started going to Seminary when I was 41 years old.  By then I was working on what all many men do when beginning to lose their hair - the comb over!  Except I didn't think it was a comb over.  I still saw lots of hair.  I must have been looking through rose colored glasses.  Something was obscuring my view.  I look back at pictures from that time period and realize how desperate I must have looked.  

So, one Sunday afternoon I asked my daughter, the hair stylist, to cut it all off.  Her response? "I was wondering when you were going to ask.  It's way past time, Daddy."  After the deed was done I went and took a quick shower.  While toweling off a Bible verse came to mind: Jesus tells us in Luke 12:7 that the hairs of our heads are numbered.  Was my hair in triple or double digits? Or even worse?

I have to say that the Sunday afternoon haircut was the best decision I ever made (at least with regard to my looks!).  Besides, the Lord told Samuel: "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  (1 Sam. 16:7)

So, it doesn't matter if you have a full head of hair or a few strands and it doesn't matter if that hair, no matter the amount, is black, red or gray.  It's what is in the heart that counts - faith, hope, love, and all the other gifts God gives those who have embraced His Son by faith.

This is good news because if entry into heaven was based on the amount of hair on your head, I'd be sunk.  Fortunately, God loves all people.  Even the bald ones.  

When all else fails, speak to God

We've all had one friend who just didn't want our witness about Jesus' love, forgiveness and salvation.  Robert J. Koester offers some good advice: 

"One person wisely said, 'If you cannot speak to a person about God, speak to God about that person'."

From "Gospel Motivation" page 132

The Church's Behavior in the World Matters

Inharmony is a deplorable offense in the case of Christians, putting them in the worst possible light and making it impossible to steer clear of factions.  Divisions are an offense to the world's wisest and best, who cry out, "If the Christian doctrine were true, they would preserve unity among themselves, but as it is they envy and slander and devour one another."  For, though the world carries its on great beam in its eye, it cannot refrain from judging us for our mote, and thus exalting itself as if it were pure and beautiful.

Martin Luther, "Sermon on 1 Corinthians in Sermons of Martin Luther, Vol VIII, 1909" quoted in "For All the Saints" page 1030

What's wrong with this picture?

Sitting on a park bench, a man observed a couple of workmen.  At first he was baffled, but soon he was amused.  He thought to himself, "Am I seeing what I'm seeing?" One worker would take his shovel and dig a hole two to three feet.  The second workman would use his shovel to return the dirt to the hole.

After watching for awhile the man left the bench and asked, "May I ask what you are doing?" The first worker said, "I dig the hole and Charlie puts the plant in the hole and Chester here fills the hole with dirt.  Charlie is out sick today."

Peter Steinke, "A Door Set Open," pages 49=50, from "Concordia Journal," Spring 2011

Don't touch that switch!

An article in a recent WORLD Magazine noted that a shutdown of several subway lines in New York City was caused by someone pressing an "Emergency Power Off" switch.  The article reports that "The August outage idled more than 80 trains along several of the city's transit lines, leading to stranded passengers and mass confusion."

Last Sunday as I preached my final sermon as Senior Pastor at Life in Christ, I referred to Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

It seems pretty clear - the apostles, left to their own devices, would not be able to carry out the Great Commission given them by the Lord in Matthew 28:18-20.  So the Lord gave them a power source, the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit's power would enable them to make disciples by baptizing and preaching the good news of the resurrection of the Christ.

That same power came upon us in our baptism.  Acts 2:38 - Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 

Working through Word and sacraments, the Holy Spirit calls us embrace Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.  The Spirit calls us out of this unbelieving world to live out our new life in Christ.  It's the Spirit who brings us out of the darkness of sin and unbelief and leads us to the light of faith.  Then we are able to know and receive the forgiveness of sins, peace of heart, the hope of heaven, and the joy of having a Savior who gave up His life for you. 

But imagine with me for a moment that you, too, have an "Emergency Power Off" switch.  Kind of silly, you think.  But in a way we have that very switch.

Whenever we stay away from worship, we cut ourselves off from the power the Holy Spirit give us to believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord.  Neglecting to hear the Word of God and receive His Holy Supper is the same as turning off the power switch in our lives.  And without the power of the Spirit, who enables us to not only believe but to also do good works of faith, like giving witness to what Jesus has done in our lives, we can do nothing.

Left to our own devices, we wouldn't even want the gifts that Jesus gives to those who believe.  We need the Spirit's help to know and believe the truth of Jesus as found in the Scriptures.  Good readers, worship! Read your Bible at home! Remember your baptism! Do these things and you can rest assured that your power switch will never be shut off!

A Bonhoeffer Prayer

I really love to pray this prayer from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

O Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You for the peace of the night

 I praise and thank You for this news day

I praise and thank You for all Your goodness and faithfulness throughout my life

 You have granted me many blessings;

Now let me also accept what is hard from Your hand

You will lay on me no more than I can bear

You make all things work together for good for Your children

 Amen

The Greatest of These is Love

Author Robert Coleman tells the story about a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion.  The doctor explained that she had the same disease that he had recovered from two years earlier.  Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease.  Since the two children had the same blood type the boy was the ideal donor.

The doctor asked, "Would you give your blood to your sister?"  The little boy hesitated.  His lower lip began to tremble.  Then, suddenly, he smiled and said, "Sure, for my sister."

Quickly the two children were wheeled into the hospital room.  As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, the little boy's smile faded.  He watched his blood flow through the tube.  With the ordeal almost over, the boy's voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence.  He asked, "Doctor, when do I die?"

Only then did the doctor realize why the little boy hesitated, why his lip trembled, before he agreed to give his blood to his sister.  He thought that in doing so he would be giving up his own life.  But because of his love for his sister, he was willing to make such a sacrifice.

It's no wonder that the apostle Paul could write, "But the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13b)

A cause for celebration

Given that we have a couple of Memorial Services today at Life in Christ, I really appreciated these words from Kurt Senske:

Therefore, when we, as Christians, talk about a funeral as a cause for celebration, we are not denying the tremendous grief and sadness that accompany death.  The cause for celebration is that the suffering of one of God's own has ended, and he or she now lives on in glory.  For that reasons, we can say: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:7-8).  In joy, we accept our call to die every day as we patiently wait to receive the inheritance of eternal life that has been prepared for us.

From "The Calling - Live a Life of Significance" page 192-93

My final sermon

This Sunday I preach my final sermon as Senior Pastor of Life in Christ Lutheran Church.  The 17 years my dear, sweet wife and I we have spent at our church have been glorious, filled with more blessings than I could ever count.  We have watched as the power of God, in Word and sacraments, have changed the lives of so many.  God be praised for what He has done at LICL!

The Friday Funny #501

A little girl got to attend a wedding for the first time.  While in the church, the girl asked her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?"  The mother replied, "Because white is the color of happiness and it's the happiest day of her life."

The little girl thought about it and then asked, "Then why is the groom wearing black?"

Have a great Friday! 

Prove It!

"Prove it!" They're the words heard on the playground, the courtroom or in the laboratory.  It's the demand we make of anyone who states a fact of which we are more than a little skeptical.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul is writing to people who are new to the Christian faith.  They are exploring the truths of God's Word.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit they are growing in faith and love - for God and for one another.  But becoming followers of Jesus Christ has not made their lives easier.  Faith in Christ has not isolated them from suffering or persecution.

In chapter five, Paul makes it clear that God uses life's trials and troubles for our benefit: "...suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope?"  Then the apostle goes on to explain why we can trust God to do this work.

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  You  see, God has already been at work for us, securing our salvation in Christ's sacrificial suffering, death and resurrection.  He has proven His love by offering His only begotten Son to pay the penalty we've earned by our disobedience.  Knowing God's great, "Prove it!" helps us to trust Him everyday of our lives.

Walther Wisdom

"That is what the Gospel is - a kind invitation to partake of heavenly blessings."

CFW Walther from "Law and Gospel," page nine

Speaking of prayer

"Therefore, it is good that one in the early morning lets prayer be the first and in evenings the last work."

Albrecht Peters, "The Lord Prayer- Commentary on Luther's Catechisms" page 31ff

Everybody loves a happy ending

I have really taken to watching movies and series produced by the Hallmark Channel.  Why? Because most of the programs have a happy ending.  There is so much in our world today that causes fear, anxiety, frustration and depression that I, for one, if I'm going to give up some time to watch something on TV, want that program to end on a happy conclusion.  Frankly, there was a time in my life when I wouldn't have given the Hallmark Channel five minutes of my time.  Now, it's often my "go to."

In one of my journals I found something that a fellow named Jim Denney wrote.  Unfortunately, I did not note where I found this quote.  Nevertheless, Denney provides an insight that I really appreciate.

JRR Tolkien, the creator of The Hobbit, once wrote that his goal as an author was to give his readers the "Consolation of the Happy Ending."  That consolation takes place at the point of the story when all hope is lost, when disaster seems certain - the joy breaks through, catching the reader by surprise.  In a 1964 essay, Tolkien called that instant, "a fleeting glimpse of joy, joy beyond the walls of the would, poignant as grief.

Look at His hands

One of my first Confirmation students used to write a lot of notes to herself.  She would make note of assignments for school, telephone numbers of people to call, jobs her mother wanted her to do.  But my young student didn't use a notepad or notebook.  She'd take her ballpoint pen and make these notes on her hands and arms.  One day she came to class looking like she had visited a deranged tattoo artist.  Her hands and arms were covered with black, blue and red ink.  I asked her, "Why do you write all over yourself like that?"  She smiled and replied, "All of these notes are important and I don't want to forget a single one of them.  This is how I remember what I'm supposed to do."

Remembering is important.  Bring remembered is even more important.  In counting down the days to my retirement, I was struck by the fact that there aren't too many weeks left until we celebrate Thanksgiving, and then onto Christmas and the New Year.  For many people this time of the year is one filled with joy and happiness.  But for others, the upcoming holidays are incredibly lonely.  Some will mourn the loss of loved ones.  Others will miss dear friends who have moved away.  It's hard to live when you're all alone.

I guess that's why I like Isaiah 49:16 - "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."  You are remembered by God! The Lord has done better than writing your name on His hand - you and all who belong to Him are engraved on His palms.  This engraving is permanent.  It matches the steadfast love that God has for each of His children.  Trust in God's promises.  Believe that He is with you and watches over you.  With eyes of faith, look at His hands!

Finding the way

Some wise words from Martin Luther:

In the beginning it's hard to find the way.  Then life becomes difficult as we continue to walk along the way.  It becomes extremely tough when we have traveled on the way for a long time and are about to reach our final destination - heaven.  So if you hold onto Christ in faith, then you have started in the right place.  If you remain in Him, then you will be walking on the right path.  If you persevere until the end, then you will be saved.  Christ wants to pry our hearts away from trusting anything else.  There is no other way, highway, bridge, or path for us than Christ alone.

From "Faith Alone" - January 19

Do you know where you're going?

There is an old story about a West Virginia lad who was sitting on a fence at the crossing of two narrow roads.  A man is a very large car with New York license plates roars to a stop in front of him.  The fellow rolled down the window and said, "Young man, I'm lost.  Can you tell me where this road goes?"

He said, "No sir, I can't."  The man said, "Well, can you tell me where that road goes?"  The boy said, "No sir, I can't."

The man replied, "Well, young man, don't you know anything?"  The boy said, "I know I'm not lost."

Have a great weekend!

What if God had a photo album?

From the "Today's Light" Bible, author Jane Fryer writes, Suppose God kept a family photo album.  What snapshots might He include? Hebrews, chapter 11 gives us some broad hints;

* God "spoke well" of Abel's offerings -verse four

* Enoch "pleased God" - verse five

* Noah became an "heir of righteousness that comes by faith" verse seven

* Abraham "obeyed" - verse eight

* Jacob "worshipped" - verse 21

But we know these "children" - and there's more to the story! Where are the photos of Noah's drunkenness or Abraham's lies? Where are  the news clippings that detail Jacob's cowardice? If all the facts were in, this chapter would be a "hall of shame."

But all the facts are in.  Jesus' death on Calvary destroyed sin's power to accuse those who belong to God by faith.  You see, God did not just sweep human guilt under the rug.  He atoned for it at the cross.  Noah's sins are forgiven! Abraham's sins are forgiven! Your sins and my sins are forgiven! Hebrews 11 is an accurate record of the lives lived by these people made perfect by faith.  (Hebrews 10:4)

From "Today's Light" Bible, page 1678

Be Thou My Vision

Write Your blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so indelibly engraved, that no prosperity, no adversity shall ever move me from your love.

A prayer petition found in the book, "Be Thou My Vision," by Jonathan Gibson

Feelings are not always reliable

"How I feel does not tell me who I am.  Only God can tell me who I am, because He made me and takes care of me."

Rosaria Butterfield

One man's opinion of how to ruin a good day

Given the wonderful weather we've enjoyed over the past couple of weeks, I found this comment from golf broadcaster, David Feherty rather amusing.

"The only way to ruin a day like this would be to play golf during it."

If you're playing golf today or sometime this week, I hope you card more birdies than bogies and that you end your round with the same number of golf balls as you started with.  Fore!

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand

Our church administrator, Connie, asked me today if I had a favorite hymn.  Here it is:

My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness

 No merit of my own I claim, But wholly lean on Jesus' name

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace

 In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand

His oath, His covenant and blood, Support me in the raging flood

 When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found

 Clothed in His righteousness alone, Redeemed to stand before His throne!

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.

Confession is good for the soul

Brennan Manning, in his classic, "The Ragamuffin Gospel," offers this heartfelt prayer of confession:

Lord Jesus, we are silly sheep who have dared to stand before You and try to bribe You with our preposterous portfolios.  Suddenly we have come to our senses.  We are sorry and ask You to forgive us.  Give us the grace to admit we are ragamuffins, to embrace our brokenness, to celebrate Your mercy when we are at our weakest, to rely on Your mercy no matter what we may do.  Dear Jesus, gift us to stop grandstanding and trying to get attention, to do the truth quietly without display, to let the dishonesties in our lives fade away, to accept our limitations, to cling to the Gospel of grace, and to delight in Your love.  Amen.

They say, "Confession is good for the soul."  The Psalmist David would agree.  In Psalm 32 he writes how a guilty conscience leads to misery.  But then, in verse five: "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord - and You (the Lord) forgave the guilt of my sin."  It's no accident that our worship each Sunday begins with confession and absolution.  We "ragamuffins" need to confess our sins.  And then we hear the comforting words, "For the sake of Jesus Christ, God forgives you all your sins."  Praise God for His gift of forgiveness!

The glory of God

Ever had someone ask you, "What is the glory of God?"  I like this short definition from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (page 267)

What God essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way He reveals Himself in these requests."

God's Great Exchange

Do you remember these words to the great hymn of the church?

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness, My beauty are, my glorious dress

 With these before my God I'll stand, When I shall reach the heavenly land.  (LSB #563)

The hymn writer expresses well the great truth of a favorite Bible verse of mine, 2 Corinthians 5:21.  It reads:

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Apart from faith in Christ, the only righteousness we can offer to God the Father is our own righteousness and goodness.  But, according to Scripture, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" before God.  Our good works are not "good enough" to please God.

Where you and I are powerless to save ourselves, God provides the perfect remedy in His Son, our Savior.  Jesus died on the cross, paying the wages of sin in our place.  In exchange, God has credited the perfect life of Jesus and His death to sin to our account.  The is "God's Great Exchange!" This is God's free, unmerited grace given to us as a gift.  This is what Jesus was willing to do so that you might "be His own and live under Him in His kingdom."  Praise God for the wonderful things He has done for you and me!

Listen up church!

A message of grace will attract people but a culture of grace will keep them there.

Jared Wilson

Great Is His Faithfulness!

Centuries ago, when the Jews were translating the Old Testament into Greek, the five chapters that make up Lamentations were originally called, "The Tears of Jeremiah."  How appropriate! Jeremiah was the prophet God had sent to warn Israel of their wicked ways and to call the people to repentance.  However, the nation chose the path of sin and so God punished them through the terror leveled by the Babylonians.  Jeremiah watched the exile unfold before his very eyes, eyes that were filled with tears of pain and sadness.

And yet, amid his tears, Jeremiah could still offer his people something in seemingly short supply - hope.  In chapter 3:22-23, we read: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Even in this disaster, believers could see the Lord's gracious hand.  Though they had been faithless, according to the prophet, God is faithful and would keep His covenant.  Great is the Lord's love! Great is His faithfulness! Jeremiah's proclamation would provide the nation a hope they could hold onto in the midst of their suffering and regret.

May you also find hope in the words from Lamentation, chapter three, whether you are suffering over the death of a loved one or battling a debilitating illness or struggling with a destructive habit or worried about the trials of a child.  Be not consumed by troubles and tears - God's compassions never fail.  They will not fail you!

Top Ten Things on the Pastor's To Do List

10) Start using new devotional book

9) Find new devotional book

8) Get on Amazon to replace lost devotional book

7) Set appointment with couple needing pre-marital counseling

6) Find pre-marital counseling materials

5) Get on Amazon to replace pre-marital counseling materials

4) Prepare Bible study on Amillenialism

3) Get a dictionary to find out what Amillenialism means

2) Goal: write a sermon like Max Lucado

1) Get on Amazon to purchase a Max Lucado book

Did you hear the one about the four boys...

Four boys caused a disturbance at the local zoo and were brought in to juvenile court. 

"Boys," said the judge sternly, "I never like to hear reports of juvenile delinquency.  Now I want each of you to tell me your name and what you were doing wrong."

"My name is George," said the first boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."

"My name is Larry," said the second by, "and I threw peanuts in the elephant pen."

"My name is Mike," said the third boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."

"My name is Peanuts," said the fourth boy.

Let's just praise the Lord!

What do you do when God answers a prayer? You respond with a song of praise!

That's what Hannah did.  As the wife of Elkanah, Hannah desperately wanted to conceive a child.  In spite of their union, Hannah remained barren.  Still, she did not give up.  In chapter one of 1st Samuel, Hannah steadfastly prayed about her desire to conceive a child.  And the good news, according to 1:19 is that "God remembered her."  Hannah did conceive and gave birth to a son, Samuel, who became a great Old Testament prophet.

Hannah's song of praise? 1st Samuel 2:2 - There is no one holy like the Lord.  There is no one besides You! There is no rock like our God!

To pray that God is "holy" is to acknowledge that there is no one whose majesty and glory is greater than God's.  He is above all things.  To pray that "there is no one besides you," is to confess that our God is the one true God.  All others are just pretenders.  To pray that God is "the rock" is to point to the strong fortress of protection He offers His people.  We are moved to join the hymnwriter and sing, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."

Hannah sets a good example for us.  This week let's praise the Lord!  

Wise Words from Luther

"I what we need isn't available to us, we have to rely on God's promises.  If we don't rely on God, we are testing Him."

Martin Luther, "Faith Alone,"  August 17

And what does the Lord require of you?

We have the verse Micah 6:8 -  "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" - on a plaque in our home.  While doing some study regarding the meaning of this verse, I found helpful what Cyril Spaude write in the "People;s Bible."

Act Justly.  Act accordingly to God's standard of justice and laid out in His Law.  Worshipping God alone and not idols, trusting in Him alone and not in weapons, acting justly to one's fellowman is showing him no injustice or cruelty in word or deed but treating him like oneself.

Love Mercy.  This God's kind of mercy.  It's the love He shows to us, a forgiving, compassionate love, an unselfish, giving love.  The father of the prodigal son had it; he welcomed back his son with open arms.  The good Samaritan showed it to the hapless victim on the road.

Walk Humbly.  God-pleasing humility is found only in the presence of the holy and just God.  When man sees himself as God sees him, a sinner deserving death, then he will humbly see God's forgiveness in Christ and gladly seek His help to live a godly life according to His will.

Micah 6:8 is really an epitome of the entire Law, of both tables which show man's duty to God and his duty to his fellow man.  See Matthew 22:37-40.

Repentant faith in the Savior is the basis for showing justice, mercy and humility as God requires.  Faith gives us the reason and the gospel gives us the strength to love the Lord our God above all else and our neighbor as ourselves!

It's a Gimme!

Do you know what a "gimme" is? In gold, if a player hits a shot to within a foot or so of the hole, a attempts a putt that falls just short of the cup, the other players may give him the next short without having to putt out,  It's like a gift.  It's the other players acknowledging that the next putt would be made anyway.  It's a gimme!

Whenever I read John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life - I think of the gimme.  Nearly every Christian knows this verse, one of the most precious in all of Scripture.  It speaks of the greatness of God's love for sinful people.  It tells how God made the greatest sacrifice of all - giving His one and only Son to save us from eternal death and to grant us eternal life.  It is pure Gospel.

Martin Luther wrote: "It was not an angel, a principality, or any of the world's mighty who became incarnate and died for us - no, the angelic and the human nature would have been too weak - but it was the divine nature that assumed humanity.  It was Christ who adopted our flesh and blood that we might be saved through Him."

Don't take this good news for granted.  Instead, rejoice! God loves you.  He gave His Son to be your Savior.  Through faith in Jesus, you have eternal life,  Rejoice!

By the way, that's me playing the south course at Torrey Pines in San Diego.  To my back is the Pacific Ocean.  It's a beautiful spot to play golf.  However, my golf game that day was not a beauty:-( 

A ransom for many

Dr. Jack Preus, writing in his book, "Just Words," notes that, "Ransom is a word that evokes the marketplace, particularly the slave market.  The ransom is the price paid to purchase a servant or slave from indenture or slavery,  In Mark 10:48 - For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many - Jesus is playing all the roles.  He is the servant - perhaps it would be better to say slave - standing in our place.  He is the one who came to pay the price for securing our freedom of those in slavery.  And He is the price paid, the ransom required to secure the slaves' freedom.  
Christ is everything in this transaction."

Do we need this ransom payment from Christ Jesus? Absolutely! According to Proverbs 5:22, "The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of sin hold him fast."  Bondage to sin becomes our condition, our way of life.  In John 8:34, "Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin'."  Unless we are somehow freed from this bondage to sin, our future is bleak; spiritual death and eternal separation from God is the fate we face.

But the apostle Paul brings good news! "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men."  (1 Tim. 2:5-6)  The price to secure your freedom from sin, death and the devil has been fully paid! Rejoice in the Savior who gave His life as a ransom for you!