tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20295843159028636722024-03-19T01:47:10.732-07:00One Small DevotionPastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comBlogger309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-68533364597093682442024-03-18T18:15:00.000-07:002024-03-18T18:15:51.601-07:00VeronicaAccording to legend, when Jesus was on the way out to be crucified, He was met by a woman named Veronica. Doing what she could for Him, she wiped His face with a cloth. It was an act of love. The legend states that something miraculous then happened: the cloth was left with an image of His face.<br />
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We are quick to point out that this story is not recorded in the Bible. And it has the sound to our ears of something not true. But could this man-made story still have something to teach us that is in perfect harmony with the Bible's message?<br />
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The answer lies in understanding Veronica as a kind of parable. Her cloth is the human heart. Christ wants nothing more than to impress on our hearts the image of His suffering self. For then we will know and believe that He suffered <em>for us</em>. And we can also learn from Veronica how to love all those who are suffering.<br />
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Lutherans may not talk much about Veronica, but it almost seems like one of our hymns was written in her memory:<br />
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On my heart imprint Your image, Blessed Jesus, King of grace,<br />
That life's riches, cares, and pleasures Never may Your work erase;<br />
Let the clear inscription be: Jesus, crucified for me,<br />
Is my life, my hope's foundation, And my glory and salvation!Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-88830955763758388082024-03-09T19:35:00.000-08:002024-03-09T19:35:17.517-08:00The One Prayer God Always Answers NoThere is a prayer found in the Bible, and you can pray it, but the answer will always be No. The Lord's Prayer ends with "Amen," meaning, "Yes, it shall be so." But for this prayer you'll need to find a different word, because, "No, it shan't be so." Jesus says about the Father, "Whatever you ask in My name, He will give it to you" (John 16:23) - with one major exception: the one prayer God always answers No, as in, No way, absolutely not, not in a million years!<br />
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Here is the prayer: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).<br />
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The dear Lord Jesus Christ says No to this prayer. A gentle, but firm, loving No.<br />
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Peter was one part right and one part wrong. He was right to confess himself a sinful man. That was true. No argument there. But how was he wrong? Very! He was wrong about Jesus who came for the very purpose of getting close to sinful people.<br />
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How does this apply? You're a Christian, baptized, righteous in the eyes of God because of Christ. But what about in your eyes? You remember sins, you still see sins in your life, you still sin. And you will think like Peter and try to send God away. This often shows up in thinking, "I can't go to church. I shouldn't go to Communion!"<br />
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But do you know what that's like? It's like saying to the doctor, "I shouldn't come see you right now, because I'm sick. And that medicine you want to give me, let's wait on that till I'm better."<br />
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Listen. You go to God in the very moment you think you should go away. Go to His Word, Sacraments, Church, and Cross. Because the very reason you think God should go away from you is the very reason He doesn't and won't. "I made you, I redeemed you, I make you holy. I love you. And so the answer is No, I will not depart."<br />
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No has never sounded so good, so completely the Gospel!<br />
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And it may be that this one No is like all the other Yeses put together.Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-85228882433273021442023-11-22T16:52:00.000-08:002023-11-22T16:52:58.242-08:00Thanks Be to the Lord Above<div style="text-align: left;">I wrote this little hymn for Thanksgiving this year. But its real purpose is to serve as a prayer at the end of a meal. It is based on Psalm 136:1 and is sung to the tune of LSB 687.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks be to the Lord above</div><div style="text-align: left;">For His never-ending love.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks be to the Father, Son,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Holy Spirit, Three in One.</div>Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-76287051962880094702023-10-30T17:32:00.000-07:002023-10-30T17:32:47.557-07:00One Little Word<i>"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" has been called the "Battle Hymn of the Reformation." The text and tune are both by Martin Luther. I wrote this devotion years ago and believe it bears repeating annually. Someone else said that it bears repeating daily.</i><br />
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Luther's great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress," contains the line at the end of the third verse: "One little word can fell him." Many know this line, but few may know the one little word Luther had in mind. What would you say it is?<br />
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In a writing called "Against Hanswurst," Luther explained that the one little word is, "You lie." Luther writes:<br />
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"For all such books written against me, even if there were as many as thousands of them written every day and every hour, are very easily refuted with the single word, 'Devil, you lie,' just as that haughty beggar Dr. Luther sings so proudly and boldly in those words of his hymn, 'One little word shall fell him.'"<br />
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Now to simplify and make it just one word, we could say, "Liar!" In John 8:44, Jesus says about the devil, "When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Luther believed that deeply.<br />
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We know that Psalm 46 formed the basis for "A Mighty Fortress." But Luther must also have had in mind the story of David and Goliath. In the first place, the devil is our Goliath. In the second place, the one little word (Liar!) is just like the one little stone David used. And in the third place, that one little word "fells" the giant. "One little word can fell him."<br />
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Now try it, and use it often. This one really works! Next time that temptation comes, that discouragement, that fear, reach into your bag for one little word.<br />
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Liar!<br />
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And spread the word!Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-92003357033437498082023-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:002023-10-09T17:00:28.809-07:00FAQs"Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.' And Nathan said to David, 'The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die'" (2 Sam. 12:13).<br />
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Frequently Asked Questions about Individual Confession:<br />
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<b>1. You mean, Confession is part of the Lutheran Church? I thought that was Roman Catholic.</b> It is part of the Lutheran Church. It is the fifth chief part of the Small Catechism. But the reality is that most Lutherans do not take advantage of it. Let us pray for that to change.<br />
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<b>2. Must I go to Confession?</b> No. Let's be clear about that. But a better question is, May I go to Confession? Yes. But the best question is, Am I invited to Confession? Very much so! It is here <i>for you!</i><br />
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<b>3. Where does it take place?</b> Although it may take place anywhere, and even over the phone, usually it takes place in the privacy of the pastor's study (sitting, not kneeling).<br />
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<b>4. When does it take place?</b> Anytime by appointment. Or the pastor will announce times for Confession, such as the Wednesdays during Lent.<br />
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<b>5. How long does it take?</b> Typically no more than five minutes, or even less. A very good confession can be done in two minutes.<br />
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<b>6. How will I know what to say?</b> That's easy. A simple, beautiful order is provided in <i>Lutheran Service Book</i>, page 292. The pastor will have it ready for you to use.<br />
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<b>7. Would the pastor ever share my sins with others?</b> Absolutely not. Under no circumstances. There is no exception to this rule.<br />
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<b>8. How often should I go?</b> Start with once. After that, plan to go once a year or maybe twice.<br />
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<b>9. Does my pastor go to Confession too?</b> Believe it or not, your pastor is the congregation's first sinner. He will drive to see another pastor for Confession. This is one reason he wants to offer Individual Confession and Absolution to the members of his congregation: he knows firsthand the spiritual benefits (peace, joy, and a renewed love).<br />
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<b>10. But won't he look at me differently after hearing my confession?</b> Far from it. The pastor loves you unconditionally, and compassionately - he feels what you are carrying. He is sent by God to shepherd and to help you. One of the main ways he helps is by hearing your confession and pronouncing forgiveness.<br />
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The words which absolution give</div>
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Are His who died that we might live;</div>
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The minister whom Christ has sent</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Is but His humble instrument.</div>
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(<i>LSB</i> 614:5)</div>
Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-16657812622569943642023-09-13T12:51:00.000-07:002023-09-13T12:51:06.083-07:00Holy Cross Days<em>The Ground Zero Cross must be remembered. It tells of a God who suffered for us, and who suffers with us.</em><br />
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"...the cross of Jesus" (John 19:25).<br />
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September 13 and 14 should share the name Holy Cross.<br />
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To begin with, September 14 has long been called Holy Cross Day. On that day in the year 320 Helena, the mother of Constantine, is believed to have discovered the cross of our Lord on which He died. It is one of the earliest Christian feast days, and points to the centrality of the death of Jesus in the Christian faith.<br />
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Enter September 13, one day before. On this day in 2001 an excavator named Frank Silecchia discovered, amid the rubble of the World Trade Center, a cross. A T-beam weighing thousands of pounds had the unmistakable shape of a cross, and had fallen into a perfect upright position. It was carefully removed, blessed, and stands today.<br />
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I confess, I don't know for a fact whether Helena found the actual cross of Christ. What I do know is that Frank Silecchia did. And he found it where the true cross will be found: right smack in the middle of human tragedy, suffering, and death.<br />
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To bring us through.<br />
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<br />Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-50289040454479606712023-08-08T14:37:00.000-07:002023-08-08T14:37:43.521-07:00Lord, to You We Lift Our Eyes<div style="text-align: left;">The Small Catechism includes a table prayer called "Asking a Blessing." It uses Psalm 145:15-16. I wrote a little hymn as a way of singing the prayer. To the tune of LSB 687.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lord, to You we lift our eyes,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And in love You satisfy</div><div style="text-align: left;">All our needs from day to day.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bless this food and us, we pray.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Amen.</div>Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-88196251633353229642023-07-31T18:10:00.000-07:002023-07-31T18:10:25.017-07:00Margaret"...one pearl of great value" (Matt. 13:46).<br />
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Years ago I did the funeral for a woman named Margaret. I used the Parable of the Pearl for the reason that the Greek word for "pearl" is "margaret."<br />
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You too are Margaret, the pearl of great value.<br />
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A beautiful explanation of this parable says that the merchant is Christ, and you are the very precious pearl. Consider two parts of the parable:<br />
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<em>Of great value</em>. (The only other time this adjective is used in the New Testament is in John 12:3 to describe the ointment applied by Mary to the feet of Jesus.) Good, true self-esteem or worth begins by knowing that you are of great value to God. He made you uniquely. He loves you as though the only one. You are as a very precious pearl to Him!<br />
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<em>Bought</em>. This is the Christ word. Paul, in two places, says, "You were bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23), as though commenting on this parable. The price was the life and blood of Christ! How marvelous the words in the Small Catechism: "[Christ] has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, <strong>purchased</strong> and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own." His own very precious pearl.<br />
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The only thing as precious as you is the blood of Christ. He was able to use it therefore to redeem you!Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-46390594853074388362023-06-11T18:22:00.000-07:002023-06-11T18:22:37.060-07:00St. Matthew<em>My first name is Matthew, after St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Holt, Michigan, my father's first and only congregation that he pastored for twenty years. Although </em>Lutheran Service Book<em> has a stanza for Matthew, I wanted to write another. It is based on Matthew 9:9-13 and 28:16-20.</em><br />
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We praise You, Lord, for Matthew,<br />
The tax collector who<br />
Put down his filthy lucre,<br />
Got up, and followed You.<br />
Baptized, we too will follow,<br />
Keep all that You command,<br />
And ne'er forget Your promise:<br />
"I'm with you to the end!"Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-36686794991051441122023-06-03T13:15:00.000-07:002023-06-03T13:15:59.484-07:00A Threefold Light"...on the first day of the week" (Mark 16:2).<br />
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We should think more about Sunday. For starters, we Christians need to remember that Sunday is not part of the weekend. It is rather the first day of the new week.<br />
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Then, and this is the most important thing, we need to remember that Sunday is the day our Lord rose from the dead, and that for this reason Sunday became the primary worship day for Christians.<br />
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This is quite enough to think about, but there's more.<br />
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We may also remember that the first day of creation was a Sunday, on which God said, "Let there be light." And add to this one other thing: the day of Pentecost. It too fell (and falls) on a Sunday.<br />
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Now take a step back and see that the <strong>Father's</strong> first day of creating, the <strong>Son's</strong> rising as Victor over sin and death, and the <strong>Holy Spirit's</strong> coming to us with new life all take place on Sunday. Extraordinary! Glorious!! Trinity!!!<br />
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Dear Christians, let us do so much more than go to church because we should. Let us go gladly (Ps. 122:1) in the faith of the <strong>One</strong> who created, redeemed, and makes us holy.<br />
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This is the deep meaning of Sunday, and about which we sing in these words:<br />
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O day of rest and gladness, O day of joy and light,<br />
O balm of care and sadness, most beautiful, most bright;<br />
This day the high and lowly, through ages joined to bless,<br />
Sing, "Holy, holy, holy," the triune God confess.<br />
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This day at earth's creation the light first had its birth;<br />
This day for our salvation Christ rose from depths of earth;<br />
This day our Lord victorious the Spirit sent from heav'n,<br />
And thus this day most glorious a threefold light was giv'n.<br />
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(<em>Lutheran Service Book</em>, 906)Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-7034137338085909272023-05-18T13:19:00.001-07:002023-05-18T13:34:34.604-07:00The Ascension's Great Joy<i>Today is the fortieth day after Easter, and the celebration of Christ's ascension into heaven.</i><br />
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"And they...returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:52).<br />
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Twice in his Gospel, Luke has the words "great joy." The first time is Christmas: "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy'" (Luke 2:10). The second time is Ascension. Today is a day for joy, great joy, a joy that knows no end!<br />
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Reason says that the disciples should have been sad at their dear Lord's departure. But their faith sees and thinks differently. Their faith is so full of His birth, death, resurrection, Word, forgiveness, and promise of the Holy Spirit, there is no room left over for sadness.<br />
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May the same be true of your heart!<br />
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JOY has been defined as "Jesus, Others, Yourself." Look first to your Savior. Then to the needs of your neighbor. And then you will find yourself - and the great joy of the Gospel!Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-83428579083781728632023-05-11T12:31:00.000-07:002023-05-11T12:31:11.461-07:00Try the Uplook<div><i>On Sunday we heard the story of Stephen, the first martyr (Acts 7:54-60). We went so far as to call it "Stephen Sunday."</i></div><br />"They waxed valiant in fight" (Heb. 11:34).<br />
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By Richard Wurmbrand<br />
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Listen to the story of a hero of the faith.<br />
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His name was Florea. He died in the prison of Gherla (Romania). He had been beaten until both arms and both legs were paralyzed because he refused to do slave labor on the Lord's Day. He could only move his neck. It is bad enough to be in such a situation in a nursing home or with one's family, but he was in a prison cell where fellow inmates had no water, no sheets - nothing with which to help him.<br />
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We had to spoon-feed him, but where did we get a spoon? Yet he was the most serene and joyful among us. His face shone. When we prisoners sometimes sat around his bed brooding about our sorrows, moaning that our outlook was bad, he would reply, "If the outlook is bad, try the uplook. St. Stephen, surrounded by men who threw stones at him, abandoned by the other members of the church who did not stay with him in his moment of trial, nevertheless looked up and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. This comforted his heart; it will comfort yours also. Look up!"<br />
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After my release from prison, I spoke to his son, aged nine, and told him the story of his father's faithfulness. I added, "I hope that you will become a good man like him." He replied, "Brother, I would like to become a sufferer for Christ as my father has been."<br />
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There is no law that obliges Christians to be dull, lukewarm, half-hearted. Christianity can be heroic. The right spelling of the word "love" is "s-a-c-r-i-f-i-c-e."Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-9897908987865408562023-04-12T18:19:00.000-07:002023-04-12T18:19:35.456-07:00Tied for 1stQuick, what's the shortest verse in the Bible?<br />
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If you answered, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35), you got one of them. The question needs to be changed to: What <em>are</em> the shortest <em>verses</em> in the Bible? That's because 1 Thessalonians 5:16 reads, "Rejoice always." Also two words. So there is a two-way tie for the Bible's shortest verse!<br />
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Now isn't it something that the two shortest verses deal with the perfectly opposite things: weeping and rejoicing? And the lesson could be that as Christians we are called to do both, often at the same time.<br />
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Let us weep with Jesus and yet rejoice in Him always!<br />
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Understand that weeping is not a sign of a weak faith or hope. It is the sign of a strong love. Jesus wept because He loved Lazarus who had died (see John 11:36). One pastoral concern I have is that sometimes we are trying to turn off the tears God meant for us to shed. Weeping is a part of love, and a blessed, holy thing in Jesus. Tears then wash our eyes and help us to see more clearly.<br />
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And yet we rejoice even while we weep. "Rejoice <em>always</em>." That includes times of sorrow. The sorrow is real but so is the joy right there next to it. At the death of a loved one there is, and often remains, a sorrow beyond words. Somehow at the same time, there is a rejoicing, sometimes quietly, in the victory of Christ over death and His promise to be with us.<br />
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Or look out at the world. It won't take long to find a reason to weep. And we should. But all the while, we rejoice in a faith, hope, and love that cannot be taken away, in a death and resurrection that cannot be undone, and in the Lord who has done it!<br />
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To others, it must be one or the other (or more often, neither). But to us it is both: weeping and rejoicing on the way to Heaven.<br />
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Remember the <em>two</em> shortest verses in the Bible!Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-55455766048819402902023-04-03T17:56:00.000-07:002023-04-03T17:56:51.632-07:00Encouraging Jesus<i>Something to think about on Holy Tuesday, April 4.</i><br />
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"He looked up..." (Luke 21:1).<br />
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In addition to the words of Jesus, we should listen to His body language. In recording the story of the widow's offering, Luke writes that Jesus "looked up," and that's when He saw the poor widow putting in her two mites. But it begs the question: Why was He looking down in the first place?<br />
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My guess (because we are not told) is that He was sad and wondering whether God's love was making a difference in <em>anyone's</em> heart! Consider the events that surround the story of the widow: He could only weep over Jerusalem (19:41-44); the temple was being misused (19:45-46); priests and scribes questioned His authority (20:1-8); they tried to "catch Him in something He said" (20:19-26); Sadducees denied the resurrection (20:27-40); He condemned the scribes (20:45-47); He foretold the destruction of the temple (21:5-9) and city (21:20-24); He foretold wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, and persecution (21:10-19); they "were seeking how to put Him to death" (22:1-2); and "Satan entered into Judas" to betray Him (22:3-6).<br />
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(And I talk about having a rough week!)<br />
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The lone bright spot: this widow and her offering. It wasn't much but it was everything. And it was all our Lord needed to see. I sense that it picked Him up - this humble, true faith and love of one person.<br />
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It happened on Tuesday of Holy Week. That's when Jesus looked up and saw her. What I like to believe is that three days later she looked up and saw Him giving His offering.<br />
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But the lesson here would be that we have the ability to encourage Jesus. He must be in need of it. He has had to witness the sin, unbelief, and deep sorrows of many centuries. You can do something about it.<br />
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When you give from your heart out of love for the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, you, small though you are, strengthen the heart of the living Lord! Just like the widow.Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-44367146058002574902023-03-23T15:08:00.000-07:002023-03-23T15:08:10.308-07:00AnnunciationMarch 25 should be considered a great holy and happy day! Called "Annunciation" for the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary, it comes nine months to the day before Christmas. If on Christmas we celebrate the birth of our Savior, on Annunciation we celebrate His conception. "Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary" (Apostles' Creed).<br />
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Let's go for a moment to Nazareth as it stands today. We enter the Basilica of the Annunciation, built over the Grotto of the Annunciation, held by tradition to be the place where the angel came to Mary. Inside the grotto, or cave, is an altar bearing five Latin words: "<em>Verbum caro hic factum est</em>." They belong to John 1:14. One word, however, is added: <em>hic</em> (in English, "here"). And so it reads: "Here the Word became flesh."<br />
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While there is no way to confirm that this was the exact location, the words should be understood more deeply as pointing to the Virgin's womb. Of that location we can be certain!<br />
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Sadly, many Christians miss the significance of March 25 as an opportunity to remember, ponder, and celebrate the Incarnation: God's Son putting on our flesh. But you needn't miss it at all!<br />
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Take time to read Luke 1:26-38, say the Creed, and sing perhaps this ancient hymn:<br />
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Not by human flesh and blood,<br />
By the Spirit of our God,<br />
Was the Word of God made flesh -<br />
Woman's offspring, pure and fresh.<br />
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Here a maid was found with child,<br />
Yet remained a virgin mild.<br />
In her womb this truth was shown:<br />
God was there upon His throne.<br />
<br />
And celebrate the day with your family and Christian friends! Forget your Lenten fasting for a day and prepare a feast instead! Give thanks with greatest joy for the love of God shown to us in the incarnation of His dear Son!<br />
<br />
Pray the Holy Spirit to come upon <em>you</em>. See your faith as the womb in which Christ is conceived and grows. Then give birth to Him through words and works of love so that He may touch the lives of others.Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-3945004353636954812023-03-06T18:52:00.000-08:002023-03-06T18:52:55.560-08:00Being John 3:15How would you like to be John 3:15? You're right there all the time next to the great John 3:16. But nobody has <em>you</em> memorized from childhood. Nobody holds you up at a football game. You aren't called "the Gospel in a nutshell." How many sermons have been given on John 3:16? How many on you? Most Christians have no idea what you say.<br />
<br />
There exists a sinful desire for recognition and fame. T.S. Eliot wrote in the poem "Choruses from 'The Rock,'"<br />
<br />
Many are engaged in writing books and printing them,<br />
Many desire to see their names in print.<br />
<br />
Speaking from experience, pastors in particular wrestle with this temptation. We want to be seen as successful, as the spiritual leader who "makes it happen." John the Baptist, who is the model pastor, said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30), and, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).<br />
<br />
John knew the power and personal fulfillment of pointing to another, the way John 3:15 does. Isn't it true that without John 3:15 we couldn't find verse 16? But there it is, without fame or recognition, directing the whole world to the Gospel.<br />
<br />
You do the same in the place God has put you. And if anyone ever asks, "Okay, but what do <em>you</em> say?" you can tell them that "whoever believes in Him may have eternal life" (John 3:15).Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-2179207679404095092023-02-10T13:19:00.000-08:002023-02-10T13:19:48.617-08:00Right Eyes"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away" (Matt. 5:29).<br />
<br />
These words of Jesus move us to avoid temptations to sexual sin, many of which enter through the eye. Remove and resist visual stimuli that would appeal to a sinful heart.<br />
<br />
But the eleventh-century Archbishop of Bulgaria, Theophylact, explained, "When you hear 'eye' and 'hand,' do not imagine that the Lord is speaking of parts of the body, for He would not in that case have specified 'right eye' and 'right hand.' He is speaking instead of those who appear to be friends, but who are in fact harming us. Take, for example, a young man who has friends living in debauchery, and who is harmed by their bad influence. Cut these off from you, the Lord says, and perhaps you will also save them, when they come to their senses. And if you cannot save them, you will at least save yourself. But if you continue in your affection for them, both you and they will be destroyed."<br />
<br />
We are reminded in the Small Catechism that God has given us our eyes (First Article). It would not be right or thankful to throw away a divine gift. Far better to see that He has also redeemed our eyes (Second Article) and makes them holy for new use (Third Article).<br />
<br />
See your eyes as precious, think of what they are able to do, and resolve not to set before them "anything that is worthless" (Ps. 101:3). Use them to "look at the birds of the air," as He instructs later in the same sermon (Matt. 6:26). Lift up your eyes to the Hill and to the Crucified, from whence come both forgiveness and then help, much help, in the fight against temptation (Ps. 121).<br />
<br />
Remember that lust is never satisfied (Prov. 27:20), but that love always finds fulfillment.<br />
<br />
<em>If you (or someone you know) seem trapped in sexual sin, seriously consider talking with your pastor. He will hold the matter in strict confidence, offer a listening ear, and share with you God's Word of forgiveness, hope, and help.</em>Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-13917230787354709312023-01-17T21:57:00.000-08:002023-01-17T21:57:59.843-08:00Pilgrim Here, Her Home Above<div style="text-align: left;">"Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage" (Ps. 84:5).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wanda was a pilgrim, but is a pilgrim no more. She died early this morning in Texas after a most courageous battle with cancer. She was 72. And I said to my mother who knew her well, "Her pilgrimage is complete."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Just four months ago, in September, I led Wanda, cancer and all, her husband Rick, my mom, and five others on a Holy Land pilgrimage. Ten glorious days in the footsteps of our Lord!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We did it all! Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jordan River, Jerusalem, Sea of Galilee, Cana, Mount Tabor, and so much more. And Wanda was determined not to miss a thing!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We were pilgrims, meaning we didn't go just to see things but to hear the Gospel, pray, sing, and receive the Eucharist. It brought us so close together!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The lesson is not that you need to go to the Holy Land. The lesson is that we are pilgrims on the way to Heaven. Wanda, more than the rest of us, understood that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A Russian monk called Father John once wrote: "Our great mistake is that we hardly think about our passing into the other world. Our life in this vale of tears is after all nothing but a path to eternity and a preparation for it. Oh, eternity, thou eternity unending! Although it is painful here and life is sometimes very hard, and heavy sorrows and cruel diseases strike, still there is a comforting thought: I shall die and all this will end. But what awaits us over there?" Answer: Heaven, Christ, and life with all the saints!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But the hymns put it the best: "I'm but a stranger here, Heaven is my home." And: "Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow His example pure, through a world that would deceive us and to sin our spirits lure. Onward in His footsteps treading, <b>pilgrims here, our home above</b>, full of faith and hope and love, let us do the Father's bidding. Faithful Lord, with me abide; I shall follow where You guide."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wanda was a pilgrim, but is a pilgrim no more. Her pilgrimage is complete, with the angels carrying her soul the last little way to Heaven.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">God be with Rick, the family, and us all.</div>Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-1168749031742381712023-01-09T14:38:00.000-08:002023-01-09T14:38:00.324-08:00150 Gallons of Gladness"...six stone water jars...each holding twenty or thirty gallons" (John 2:6).<br />
<br />
At the wedding in Cana our Lord turned water into wine. It was His first miracle. But what I never really realized is just how much wine He made.<br />
<br />
The Gospel is inviting us to do the math:<br />
<br />
6 x 20 or 30 = 120 or 180<br />
<br />
Call it 150 gallons. That's a lot of wine.<br />
<br />
What we don't know is how many people there were. We don't know at what point exactly they ran out of wine. What we know is: They didn't run out again. And therein lies a lesson.<br />
<br />
Christ offers a joy and gladness that will never run out. When your happiness is based on things, circumstance, situation in life, other people, day of the week, or time of the year, it's going to run out. But when based on Christ (His incarnation, death, resurrection, forgiveness, and promise of eternal life), it's going to last forever.<br />
<br />
Understand that God gives us many good things to enjoy for a time. But we must always see beyond them to God Himself. Beyond the wine to Christ. "And His disciples believed<b> in Him</b>" (John 2:11).<br />
<br />
The secret to a happy life? Knowing the one Joy that will never run out: the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. All 150 gallons of it!Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-90116939179417654202023-01-04T16:40:00.000-08:002023-01-04T16:40:46.875-08:00To Sail Across the Sea<div style="text-align: left;">Our New Year's resolution could be: To sail across the sea.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the words of Father John,* a Russian monk now in Heaven:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"This earthly life of ours is truly a sea of ups and downs, and our little boat has to go through various misfortunes, with danger of shipwreck. Nevertheless, we must not be depressed. With God's help let us try to sail across this sea and reach the quiet shelter of the Kingdom of Heaven."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Blessed New Year!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*Born in 1873 and died in 1958.</div>Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-24371738738443872392022-12-14T14:50:00.000-08:002022-12-14T14:50:38.460-08:00Holy Day Advice"Therefore the child to be born will be called holy" (Luke 1:35).<br />
<br />
Let me see if I can help. The next time you hear it called a "holiday tree" instead of a "Christmas tree," or someone says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," use it to add to your joy. Yes, add!<br />
<br />
How do you do that?<br />
<br />
Simply remember that "holiday" comes from "holy + day." It is really "holyday." What a beautiful word! What a perfect description of Christmas! Who doesn't love listening to "O Holy Night"? "Holiday" is like someone singing "O Holy Day." Enjoy!<br />
<br />
But now add in the word of the angel to Mary: "the child to be born will be called <em>holy</em>." This means that the "holy" in "holiday" is the Christ Child! And that means that "holiday" is not a secular substitution, but a sacred synonym.<br />
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That is how we can hear it, and then pray for people to know the love of God in Christmas.<br />
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Holy Christmas Day and its Twelve Days are the Happy Holidays. They are the holy days that make us sad sinners so very happy, because from them we learn and remember throughout the year that a Savior has been born to us!<br />
<br />
God's holiness is on bright display when He moves into the world to save us. Meaning that the right response to "Happy Holidays" would be (happily spoken): "Holy days indeed!"Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-87456351167085125302022-11-05T15:30:00.000-07:002022-11-05T15:30:50.252-07:00Finishing the Sentence"And He said, 'Say this to the people of Israel, "I am has sent me to you"'" (Exod. 3:14).<br />
<br />
What if I told you that a certain Biblical statement took 1500 years to complete?<br />
<br />
In Exodus 3 the Lord instructs Moses to refer to Him as "I am." Now technically "I am" is a complete sentence, having both a subject and a verb. On the other hand, it sounds rather unfinished.<br />
<br />
Finishing the sentence would have to wait until the Incarnation and the teaching of Jesus. The Gospel of John records seven "I am" statements of Jesus, listed below. The number seven in the Bible denotes completeness. The Lord Jesus completes the sentence He began back in Exodus 3.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
"I am...</div>
<div align="center">
the bread of life</div>
<div align="center">
the light of the world</div>
<div align="center">
the door of the sheep</div>
<div align="center">
the good shepherd</div>
<div align="center">
the resurrection and the life</div>
<div align="center">
the way, and the truth, and the life</div>
<div align="center">
the true vine."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
So when Jesus says from the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30), He could have been talking about the sentence.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
"I am," by itself, is difficult to understand. It is a lofty idea. But Jesus brings it down to earth and makes it, and all of God, perfectly understandable.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
See if you can memorize the seven I am's from John. No other words were ever worth such a long wait.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<em>Where to find the I am's in John: 6:35, 8:12, 10:7, 10:11, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1.</em></div>
Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-41136474422999981052022-10-12T15:10:00.000-07:002022-10-12T15:10:47.945-07:00A Member of His Body<div style="text-align: left;"><i>This comes from the late Richard Wurmbrand and calls us to a deeper commitment to our Lord and His church.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Take, eat; this is My body" (Matt. 26:26).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">During World War I almost two million Armenians were martyred for their faith and nationality by the Turks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At Der es Zor a group of Armenians stood before the firing squad. One of them, Mavy, told the soldiers, "It is written in your Koran that you should not kill anybody without allowing him first to worship his god." Mavy was granted his request.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He gave a short message from Revelation 2:10: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." They sang together and took Holy Communion. They had no bread but distributed some of the glowing sand from the ground, saying, "Take and eat. This is My body." Everyone swallowed some sand. Then they were shot. Those who did not die instantly dipped their fingers in their blood. While dying, Mavy told them, "Take and drink this. This is My blood given for you."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Christ is a being with two natures: a human and a divine one. He also has two bodies. He has the body of a Jewish carpenter which, after death, was glorified and ascended to heaven, as well as the church, which is also His body. When at Communion the words are said, "Eat; this is My body," both bodies are meant. Jesus suffered and bled 2000 years ago in Palestine in His limited body. It is He Himself who suffers and bleeds also in all those who bleed for Him. They took Communion with their own blood, which was also His blood.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You are a member of His body. Behave as such.</div>Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-88643633254751816052022-08-26T17:28:00.000-07:002022-08-26T17:28:52.105-07:00Going to the Dogs"Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores" (Luke 16:21).<br />
<br />
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Rom. 13:9). The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus seems to teach this commandment only through a negative example. The rich man did not care for his neighbor.<br />
<br />
But there is in the story also a shining positive example of loving your neighbor as yourself. It is the dogs who came and licked the poor man's sores. A dog is a man's best friend. In the case of Lazarus, they may have been his only friends.<br />
<br />
Israelites thought of dogs differently than we do. They were unclean, scavengers, and a source of disease. So we think that Jesus mentions the dogs in order to underscore Lazarus's suffering. He could do nothing to keep the dirty dogs away.<br />
<br />
But from another angle a love shines through. What do dogs do for themselves? They lick their sores and wounds (an action that removes dead tissue and promotes healing). In coming and licking the sores of Lazarus, they give a perfect lesson on the commandment: You shall <em>lick</em> your neighbor as yourself.<br />
<br />
The dogs acted instinctively. The instinct of sinful man is to love himself. The love of Christ and the Holy Spirit implant a new instinct: to love your neighbor, especially the one who is hurting.<br />
<br />
Let's all go to the dogs, and follow their example.Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029584315902863672.post-44409741580017418632022-08-22T21:03:00.000-07:002022-08-22T21:03:48.456-07:00The Width of Narrow"Strive to enter through the narrow door" (Luke 13:24).<br />
<br />
Jesus describes the door to heaven as narrow, and by the end of the Gospel it becomes possible to measure it exactly. The narrow door is the exact width of the holy cross. Another way of putting it is that the narrow door is fourteen words wide: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13). And: "Take heart, child, your sins are forgiven" (Matt. 9:2). Pray and hear these words before the cross and you will enter through the narrow door.<br />
<br />
But why does He say, "<i>Strive</i> (struggle, strain) to enter"? The Greek word is "agonize." Because it's going to be a fight. Jesus is calling you to a life of repentance and faith in Him. This is the life for you. But to live it will mean a fight against the devil, the world, and the flesh, all of whom want you to live for now, and not for heaven. But the Holy Spirit will aid you in the fight. The Holy Helper! And He will help you by the Holy Word and Sacrament!<br />
<br />
Despite public pressure, don't be afraid to be narrow-minded in your faith. It is necessary in order to enter through the narrow door.<br />
<br />
Let your faith be narrow, and let your love be broad!<i></i>Pastor Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030029766980939822noreply@blogger.com