A servant of this gospel

Ephesians 3:7-8 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,

Living in the inter mountain west gives me the opportunity to see weather that is both dramatic and extreme. The altitude gives me comfort in that any tornadoes will be relatively minor in strength. There is a battle that I witness in the Spring as Winter slowly loosens it's grip and gives way to the warmth I look forward to. It snowed about 50 miles north of Pocatello yesterday and this morning it is 29 degrees in Pocatello. The struggle continues, but Spring is relentlessly pushing back the veil of Winter.

Have you ever stopped to think what it means to be a servant of the Gospel? I am not talking about just casually thinking this over. It's all about looking at the Gospel of Jesus Christ, taking serious time to meditate and pray on what this means to you individually. It means pushing aside the clutter in your mind and in your heart to listen to what God has to say about this subject to you personally. In 1 Samuel 3:9 Eli realizes that the Lord is calling Samuel and tells Samuel "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" The Lord is calling each of us to serve Him in some ministry to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our part in this effort may be small, or large. It may involve using the spiritual gifts given to us ( 1 Corinthians 12).

I have found that being a servant of the Gospel has a few drawbacks. Matthew 20 contains some insight into this. Being a servant means placing your life and your desires second to those of the Lord. It means that you may be called on to serve at a time when it is not convenient. It means serving and upsetting family members by your act of service. The road is not wide, soft and comfortable. The road is narrow and hard. As devoted followers of Jesus Christ that is the road we are called to follow. We share what we are called on to share.  The time and the place is often not of our choosing, but we are called and we respond. When I reflect upon the cross I am confident suffering the humiliation of the cross was never convenient for Christ. And yet He went up on the cross willingly because that was the will of His Father. And in doing so He changed forever the lives of all sinners. We often do not have the opportunity to see the results of our being a servant of the Gospel. We serve and trust in the Lord that our efforts will bear fruit. We serve not for our glory. Rather, we serve so that God would receive all the praise, all the honor and all the glory. Sometimes it hurts to serve. And when that is the case we go the Lord in prayer and as ask for His peace that surpasses all understanding. We ask for His comfort through His Holy Spirit that no medicine can replace. And through all the pain and hurt we keep on saying 'Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening.'

PRAYER: Father of all comfort, at times we are called upon to serve You in a manner, at a time, or in a place which can be difficult. We are called upon to serve You at times or in ways that others do not understand. And this causes us pain. Lord, we ask for Your peace that surpasses all understanding. We ask for the Holy Spirit to comfort us. And we ask for the faith to keep on serving. All this we ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.

The message of the cross

1 Corinthians 1:18 "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Maybe I have missed something in the past, but there seem to be more people wearing a cross necklace and other cross symbols on their clothing. In the past, at least in my own mind, seeing a cross necklace or symbol on clothing indicated the wearer was a Christian. Now I'm not so sure.

I have a cross necklace that I wear. It is a reminder for me of who I am. I can feel the necklace under my shirt. There is a message that goes with the reminder. Jesus died in the cross for my sins. And not just my sins, but the sins of all. The reminder helps me to stay focused, and humble. This reminder, that is the necklace is something I need in my life. And yet in 1 Corinthians 1:18 "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" we know that not all understand the message of the cross. For the crowd that wears a cross because it looks "cool" or "totally rad" the message is lost. The cross in that case shines as a beacon in the night calling attention to their foolishness. When I see someone wearing an article of clothing with a crossword is acting in a most Unchristian like manner it seems to magnify the hypocrisy of their acts. An then I have to think about myself. Do I always act like a perfect Christian? The answer is no. But the cross still stands as a reminder for all,regardless a of the situation or location it is worn, that we are saved by the power of God. His Son died on the cross that many display in a cavalier fashion. The cross is a serious symbol of something magnificent accomplished when Jesus died on the cross. The love of God poured out in the blood of Jesus. His body was laid in the tomb, and Jesus rose on the third day as He promised he would. The cross reminds us of the end of the old covenant, and the beginning of the new covenant. Christians know that the cross is not an ornament to be worn for the sake of fashion. The cross is something we cling to as a sourced of hope and a promise fulfilled. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia, Amen.

PRAYER: Father, we look to the cross for our hope in You. Your Son suffered the humility of the cross for the sake of all sinners. Help us to remember His sacrifice as we travel in our world today. Help us to be strong when we are weak. Let not the meaning of the cross be lost upon us today and every day. We ask this in the name of Your Son our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

We have redemption

Ephesians 1:5-8 In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.

One of my first memories of a "big news story", other than the 1968 World Champion Detroit Tigers, is of the Watergate hearings. The recent passing of Chuck Colson brought back memories of the Watergate hearings, the characters, the drama and revelations wrapped up in this national tragedy.

Moving forward in our lives is a constant, and an imperative. Failing to move on with our lives leaves us to wallow in a quagmire of self regret and self pity. With Easter 2012 in the rearview, I am left to wonder about how the disciples felt in those three days between the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection. Regret on the part of Peter for denying Jesus, the loss of their Rabbi and friend all must have weighed heavy on their minds. And when Jesus restored Peter, it had to be a truly moving experience for all the disciples. And yet, for Jesus it was another opportunity to teach the disciples back then and us today.

On some level, I admire Chuck Colson. The miracle performed by God in turning his life around is astounding to say the least. He went from a central character in the Watergate scandal, to prison for the crimes he committed and then to finding Christ and becoming a driving force in the Prison Fellowship ministry. To say that he lived an interesting life is an understatement. He, through Christ, accomplished many great things in his post-prison life. He embraced the principle of redemption in Christ. And tried as best as he could to share the good news of the Gospel with many who needed to hear that good news. Make no mistake, Chuck was human just as you and I are human, and he did not lead a perfect life after prison. But the lessons you and I can take away from his life are three fold. First and foremost, we too can embrace the forgiveness that Chuck found in Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of all of our sins. We should not ever forget that lesson. We sin, we are forgiven, and we try to do better. We move on with hope for a better future. Second, we share the good news. The world is full of people who do not know, or reject the forgiveness and love found in Jesus. If we keep that good news bottled up inside of us, we fail in our responsibility to bring all to know Jesus as we are tasked in the "Great Commision" found in Matthew 28:16-20. Go, make disciples, baptize and teach are the imperatives we embrace as followers of Jesus Christ. And last, but certainly not least, we see the brilliant possibilities that are out there when the Holy Spirit enters a life and implements a profound change. This is the hope and promise we all embrace. God can forever change lives. There are many wonderful examples for us to see, all we have to do is to look around us. This is the hope we hold onto for all who have been lost to sin, and now are trying to change their lives by embracing the love of Jesus. For those who have already embraced this in our lives we are forever grateful. Ephesians 1:7&8 lays it all out for us. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. We know this as believers. We trust in this a people who are prone to failure. And we rely on this as sinners. It keeps us moving forward, and to not remain stuck in the past. When we encounter someone who wants to drag us, or someone, else back into the past that Christ has forgiven we need to take a stand. If God forgives us, who is mortal man to not do the same?

PRAYER: Almighty God, Your Holy Spirit delivers faith that makes profound changes in the lives of people. We are all human, sinners by nature and sadly in need of a great heaping helping of Jesus. Today Lord, we lift up those who are in the prisons of the world. We do not pass judgement on their past, but we ask that Your Holy Spirit changes their futures. We ask Father that Your Spirit would be poured out in full measure. We ask that lives lost to sin would be won by Christ. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Who saved all with His sacrifice, Amen.

A believing wife

1 Corinthians 9:5 Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?

For the past week I have been a bachelor. My wife Pam has been in St. Louis attending a Stephen Ministry Leadership training course. I am not the only one that misses Pam. Our cat Kiah is a bit out of sorts.  So, I have a clingy cat to keep me company. My other blessing this week has been spending time with my daughter Kate. We did okay, and did not eat too much bad food. Although there was that lunch at Five Guys......

If we take the Apostle Paul literally we miss half of the meaning. By that I mean a man takes a believing wife along, and a woman takes a believing husband along. There is a wonderful blessing when your spouse is a believer. The joy of sharing the love of Christ with someone that you love is one of the Lord's true blessing in life and in marriage. There are many ways that this blesses each person in a faith based marriage. We know that our faith, a gift of God our Father, flows out from His Spirit. We are reminded of the fruit of the Spirit when we look to Galatians 5:22&23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  In a marriage that has faith in Jesus Christ as a cornerstone, there is an element of love and stability that others do not have. The fruit of the Spirit in a marriage is a bountiful harvest of all the elements of a healthy marriage listed in Galatians 5:22& 23. The opportunity to share not just your love, but also the love of Christ with your spouse is simply awesome. The opportunities to reinforce each other's faith is an essential element of a healthy marriage. The time spent in study of the Word is precious for a couple. The blessing of someone who is there to help hold you accountable in your faith is reassuring. And the true blessing in that part of the relationship is that each party is there to help the other. If the husband is struggling, the wife is there to support. If the wife is struggling, the husband is there for her. And if both are having a difficult time, they can commiserate with each other and be reminded of the the love of God for all in their study of His Word. The blessing of a faith-based marriage is one which I personally hold dear. Not all marriages are faith-based and for that my prayers go out for those who are not joined in faith. Friends of the risen Savior, let us all lift up the lives of our married friends and pray that someday all marriages will come to be based in a relationship of love of each other and a love of our Savior Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Most Merciful God, thank You for the blessing of marriage. You bless us in marriage with someone to share our lives, our love, and our faith. For that blessing we give thanks O Lord. Father, we pray that You would pour Your Spirit into the lives of all who are married. Let Your love fill each partner in marriage with the fruit of the Spirit. And Lord, we ask that by Your will all marriages will come to be based on faith in You, and a love for Your Son Jesus Christ. We ask this in the name of Your Son Who loved us first. Amen.

Believe in your heart

Romans 10:9-10 If you declare  with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

It was a nice break from the hectic writing pace of Lent. Taking a few days off after from writing after Easter gave me an opportunity to just chill out, and reflect on many-many things. And now that I have had my chance to recharge and refresh let us get back to it. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia, Amen!

How was your Easter? Was it filled with Easter candy, baskets, and that annoying plastic grass we stuff in baskets which seems to end up everywhere? Hopefully you had a wonderful worship experience at the church of your choice. At Grace Lutheran Pocatello we were blessed by having over 1100 fellow believers join us on Easter Sunday. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! While we are humbled by the number of folks that joined us for worship, it is not all about the numbers. The important lesson for all of us to consider is many people who may not regularly attend a worship service chose to attend church on Easter. They chose to open their hearts and minds to all the possibilities that exist when a person deliberately chooses to hear the word of God spoken and the Gospel preached. They gave the Holy Spirit an opening into their hearts by experiencing the elements of communion. The body and blood of Christ in, with, and under the bread and wine of that blessed sacrament. The physical element meets with the Words of Jesus reminding us that our sins are forgiven by His sacrifice. A new covenant has been given to us. And through all of this we, and all who attended on Easter Sunday, are left with one lingering question. What are we going to do with what we observed, heard, and experienced? This experience and what we saw and heard does not need to end when we exited the church building? It needs to continue to work in our lives. Take a pause in your life, and give this some thought. We all need to take the time to let the Holy Spirit work within us to shape us and change us. Psalm 119:30-32 gives us a path forward to embrace. I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart  on your laws. I hold fast  to your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding.  I encourage you to take the time to rest, recharge, chill out, and give this some serious prayer. For when we chose to run in the path of the commands of the Lord, our lives are enriched in ways that are beyond the physical wealth many seek. Our understanding of what our lives are really all about can be revealed and that is more precious than any amount of gold and silver we may accumulate in our lives. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia, Amen!

PRAYER: Lord, You bless us today and every day. And while all too often we only pause to consider those blessings at Christmas and Easter, we know that we are truly blessed by Your love. Help us Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our lives that we might be forever changed. Help us, through faith, to run in the path of your commands. Broaden our understanding O God. We ask this in the name of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ who with the Father and the Spirit are One God now and forever, Amen.

Preach the gospel

Mark 16:15&16 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 

I have a friend who rejects the basic premise of Christianity. We have enjoyed some interesting discussions. He tries to apply human reasoning to rules that God has set. He has trouble grasping that God sets the rules because God is God and we are not. My friend, a very generous and kind-hearted person, is of the belief that there must be another one way to get to heaven different than believing in Christ. His approach is to do many acts of kindness. He believes in God, but not that we are forgiven and saved by Christ. Do you know anyone like my friend?

When preaching the Gospel to those who do not accept the Gospel, we often find ourselves in the same boat as Moses when he was trying to convince Pharaoh to free the Israelites. We can talk until we are blue in the face to our friends and not make headway.  And as long as we are relying on our words to make a difference, our results will have little chance of succeeding. Yet, when we put aside our pride, accept that we are not in charge and ask in prayer we can succeed. We can find hope in several verses from scripture.  First, the Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:19 of the importance of praying for the right words. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. Secondly, in John 14:12&13 Jesus tells us “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, to that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” And finally, there is the story of Moses from Exodus 4:10-12 Moses said to the Lord, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The Lord said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." The Lord will give us the words to speak in love to those who need to hear the Gospel. Have faith in the Lord, and try prayer before speaking. 

PRAYER: Father, we are often at a loss for words, or try the wrong words – our own words when sharing the Gospel. We need Your words of love, hope, and forgiveness to be heard. Give us Your words today, and everyday. We ask this in the name of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Peace be with you

Luke 24: 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,  "Peace be with you."

Peace of mind can be a very scarce commodity. We encounter stresses, hectic work schedules, changes in the work place, bills, home repairs (my favorite stressor), and any number of things that beg for time and our attention. Finding peace can be very challenging.

Holy Week is a busy time for many people. Pastors are occupied with worship services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Church staff personnel are busy the aforementioned services. Many volunteers who support the worship services are also occupied with their various tasks. Many people want to have flawless services that honor our Lord. In the midst of all this busy-ness in service to the Lord, it can be easy to lose sight of the reason for Easter. The gift of salvation by grace is a true gift of peace. Can you imagine what life would be like if you had to earn your salvation? It could be this constant feeling of inadequacy wrapped around wondering if you had done enough to earn your reward in heaven. I know there are folks out there who believe salvation must be earned and my heart goes out to those who are oppressed by that belief system. But thank God for Jesus Christ. Romans 3: 22-24 reminds us of how we are saved. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

The peace that is offered by accepting saved-by-grace-through-faith is so wonderful and so complete. To know that you and I are saved, in spite of our flaws is a tremendous relief. All we have to do is believe. All we have to do is remember that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that sinners would be reconciled with God the Father. It is not a complex formula involving hours served per week times weeks in a year times years in a life time. The math problem is solved because one man, Jesus Christ died on the cross for the salvation of all. That is simple math. And that simple formula gives peace to all believers. Easter is a time to set aside the business of our lives and take time to focus on the reason we celebrate Easter. We can soak in the peace given to us all by Christ.

PRAYER: Lord and giver of life, Your servants offer their worship and praise during Holy Week. We lift up our voices in song and prayer. We give You praise O God. We are humbled by the memory of the sacrifice of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. And for the gift of salvation given by His sacrifice we are eternally grateful. We ask that You receive our worship as a fragrant offering that is pleasing to You. This prayer of thanksgiving we offer in the name of Jesus, who with the Father and the Spirit are one God, now and forever, Amen.

It is finished

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said,  "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

Today, after church we (my wife, my daughter and I) watched the Martinsville NASCAR race. It is a fun track for the participants and for the spectators. My favorite driver was bumped out of the lead and ended up back in the pack at the end of the race. I was disappointed, but proud of how my driver handled the situation. He had class.

There is an aspect of the crucifixion that is to be marveled at, in my opinion. There was an element of what has been recorded that offers us a glimpse into the character of Jesus that we seldom see in other parts of the Gospels. I am referring to the interaction between Jesus, and his mother Mary. Recorded in the Gospel of John is what I find compelling. From John 19: 25-27 we read. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. In those final moments of pain He was enduring from the torture that is a crucifixion, His concern was focused on His mother, and the disciple He loved (John.) The Gospel of John is the only Gospel reference to this taking place. Given Jesus telling John that Mary was now his mother, and John taking Mary into his home, we could draw a conclusion that she was a widow. Jesus knew very well how the Jewish rulers of the day treated widows. Check out Mark 12:38-40 for the rest of that story. And so Jesus entrusted His mother into the hands of His most beloved disciple, John. In the midst of all the pain and agony, His thoughts were of others. This act of kindness and love is not the sole act of Christ’s love shown on the cross. Remember the words from Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  He asked for forgiveness for those who placed Him on the cross. To the thief on the cross He gave words of comfort captured in Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him,  "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." In looking at the Passion of Christ we are compelled to look at the compassion of Christ. His love for His family, His disciples and others was profoundly displayed on that horrible tree. This is a lesson for all of us to take aboard. In our own time of despair and suffering we too should remember that even at the end of life, it is not all about us. In this journey we call our lives there are others we encounter who need to see what love is really all about. We can with the help of God be gracious to others when it may be most difficult for us to show grace. My friends in the Risen Savior, may your finish be distant in time, and filled with God’s grace.

PRAYER: Lord, when our time here on earth becomes short, help us to hold onto Jesus. Gives us the grace and peace that can only flow from You. Let us finish well Father. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.  

By His wounds we are healed

Isaiah 53: 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 

I have a friend who served in US Army Special Operations units in Vietnam, and other far away places. My friend carries physical and emotional scars from his many battles. Part of his therapy, for the emotional scars, is to write about his experiences. And though he has been awarded medals for “extraordinary heroism”, he is a kind and very humble person.  Quite the opposite of how we often see war heroes portrayed in movies & on television.

The season of Lent opens up many believers to feelings of guilt. As we walk through Lent, and the events leading up to the crucifixion on “Good Friday,” we are reminded of what really happened to Christ. He was arrested by the Temple Guards and while awaiting “trial” he was mocked and beaten by those who were guarding Him. He was subjected to a mock trial by the chief priests and the teachers of the law. Then he was sent to see the Roman governor Pontius Pilate who tried to pass off the judging of Christ to Herod. Herod passed the buck back to Pilate. Pilate could see that the chief priests were jealous of Jesus, yet Pilate was backed into a corner. If he were to release Jesus it would cause unrest in the region. And few things will bring a swift end to a political career & physical life than to be the Roman governor of an unsettled area you are unwilling/unable to subdue. Ultimately Pilate yielded to the will of the crowd and released Barabbas. He sent Jesus to be crucified.  Paul shares with us the reason for all this taking place. From Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  One man died to save many. Christ gave his life so that others may live. What we experience today is something akin to survivors remorse. Why did someone have to die? Why couldn’t we earn our own salvation? Remember, we will always be sinners. We are not able to save ourselves because we will remain sinners until the day we die. It is part of the human condition. The blood sacrifice necessary for the forgiveness of the sins of man could be nothing short of the blood of the Lamb - Jesus. And what we must remember is that Christ died on the cross willingly for you, and I and all mankind. We honor that death by accepting the grace of God that is embodied in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We do not cheapen it by claiming we can earn redemption by some effort of our own. Jesus said it best. “It is finished.”

PRAYER: Father, at times we are troubled by guilt at the thought of Your precious Son dying on the cross for us poor miserable sinners. Our guilt can lead to feelings of rejection of the accomplishment of that heroic sacrifice. Help us in our time of confusion and struggle to have the faith to accept the finality of what as accomplished on the cross. We ask this in the name of Your Son Jesus, Who with the Father and the Spirit are one God, now and forever, Amen.