Awesome calling

/ The Pastor

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. [Genesis 2:24]

I met with a couple last night who are preparing for marriage.

Wow! What an awesome privilege to walk along side a man and a woman as they get ready to proclaim the Gospel through their marriage, but also scary.

I say scary because marriage is an awesome calling from God, not a right. It is also an awesome responsibility. Marriage is about putting Christ’s relationship with the Church on display. Marriage is about showing what forgiveness looks like; what God’s love looks like (among many other things). And I get to help couples see this.

Wow!
God help me.

If only we could grasp this “profound mystery” (Ephesians 5:32) we would all fall on our faces before God, begging for forgiveness, for how we have messed up and watered down marriage.

So God help me as I walk with this couple. I don’t want to mess this up. But more importantly, I want to be faithful to scripture; I want to be faithful to your promises and commands.

So I ask all of you to be in prayer about marriage. Pray for men and women who are married. Pray for those preparing for marriage. Pray for those who are single that they may honor marriage through their calling to be single. Pray for those in struggling marriages that they may find healing in some way. Pray for those who are divorced that they may be made whole through Jesus Christ.

Pray for marriage. Pray for marriage with all your being. And then pray some more.

And…

If you have time, pray for me as I work with couples. May I be faithful and bold and loving and compassionate. And may I glorify God.

And may YOU glorify God as well.

Have a great day 🙂

The Pastor -|—

Filling the hole

/ The Pastor

And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” [Luke 4:8]

Jesus was offered power and prestige and influence and fame. Jesus was offered the world.

But there was a catch (isn’t there always)…

…Jesus had to bow down and worship the prince of this world, Satan. He had to give away his heart and soul for something that would never last. Simply pledge his allegiance to the worker of death and Jesus would have “his heart’s desire”. The problem is that Jesus’ heart’s desire is YOU, not this world and so Satan was spinning his wheels with Jesus, but he gets plenty of headway with us.

As sinners, we seek after that which only leads to death. Satan offers us the world and we take the deal. Satan offers us pleasures now and we take the deal. Satan offers us peace now and we take the deal. The problem is that our true heart’s desire is not in this world. We were made for God but with sin in the picture we have a God shaped hole in our heart that we try to fill with other pursuits. And Satan is more than glad to help you fill that hole with anything and everything that is not God.

But the hole NEVER gets filled.

Sometimes a deal comes along that seems to fit pretty well, but not perfectly. But it’s better than nothing so we follow the giver of this gift and pledge our allegiance. We give our souls to the pursuit of money and more money. We put vicarious living into that God-shaped hole; thinking our children’s athletic success will satisfy; but it never does. We listen to Satan’s sales pitch that includes fame and success and power and we’re intrigued; not putting any consideration into the price of the deal. We give our hearts away to the gods of this world, through sin, hoping and hoping that the hole gets filled.

But the hole NEVER gets filled…that way.

Jesus says, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.

This command is a gift.

This command is one that turns our attention to God; who is worthy, because of what God does to fill that God-shaped hole in your heart. Jesus’ death and resurrection is what is takes to fill that hole, anything else will leave gaps that will ooze and drain life and peace out of you. Nothing that Satan offers will fill the gaps. Nothing that this world promises will stop the follow of life and peace out of you.

Nothing, nothing, nothing!

If you want that hole in your heart completely and totally filled, then Jesus is it. So when the too-good-to-be-true deal comes your way, simply look Satan in the face and say:

You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.

Praise be to God and Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Get your ash on

/ The Pastor

I love that title…

a little lighthearted fun as we begin this season of Lent; a season for reflection and remembering that we came from dust, and because of our sin, to dust we shall return.

This season is also a very somber time as we reflect on our mortality but we can’t forget the celebration at the end because of Jesus. And therefore, in the midst of taking ourselves very seriously, don’t take yourself too seriously. Remember that you are a sinful, mortal human being under the curse of death. That is serious and undeniable. But through the cross of Jesus, you are redeemed and thus, through faith in him, the curse is lifted on that Last Day. That is also serious and undeniable AND “fun” let’s say.

[Leave it to me to put a not-so-serious spin on Ash Wednesday and Lent]

So with that seriousness, let’s move to some fun stuff:

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This is me burning palm branches saved from last year’s Palm Sunday worship service. Seems normal, but what you can’t feel is that I am standing outside in a -30 degree wind chill that is chilling me right down to the bone. I guess one can add this to the list of crazy things that only Minnesotans (and other crazy upper Midwesterners] do. But when you live in this part of the country/world you have to make do.

So the ashes are made.
Worship is planned.
The sermon is set.

And I am ready to get my ash on as I dive head-long into Lent.

A serious season in preparation for a “fun” event.

May God be praised and glorified. May you be humbled with the serious fact that you are a sinner. May you be lifted up through the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus.

Praise be to God!

The Pastor -|—

The Curse and The Victory

/ The Pastor

Many Christian churches around the world will be recognizing Ash Wednesday tomorrow (Feb 18). This is the beginning of the 40 day season of Lent (40 days not including Sundays) culminating in the vigil of Easter and then Easter itself the next day celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.

The season of Lent is one when we remember our mortality and to focus on our sinfulness. Reminders are placed on foreheads as people are marked with ashes; signifying the curse of sin which was pronounced to Adam and Eve (and all humanity) in Genesis 3, “from dust you came and to dust you shall return”. Through our willful disobedience to God we have incurred the penalty of death. Our bodies are subject to decay and thus will perish someday.

But this is not the end…

The mark of the curse is made in the form of the cross signifying our redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Earlier in Genesis 3, when God was cursing the serpent for his actions; ones that drew Adam and Eve into temptation; God announced his plan of redemption:

[15] I will put enmity between you (the serpent) and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring (Jesus); he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

The offspring of the woman is Jesus.
The heel bruising is Jesus being crucified.
But the head bruising is Jesus defeating death through his resurrection.

The serpent, Satan, will be destroyed for his part in corrupting God’s beautiful and perfect creation. In the mean time, we will be subject to death and the rule of Satan, but through faith in Jesus, we will taste victory.

So Lent begins with a curse but ends with victory; but in order to know this victory we need to accept our fallen sinfulness and Lent is a time to focus on that. So remember who you are AND know who Jesus his. The curse of death is not forever. The victory has been won and has been given to you.

Praise be to God and Amen!

The Pastor -|—

Awesome salvation

/ The Pastor

[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [Ephesians 2:8-10]

This is one of my favorite verses in scripture and therefore one that I have my confirmation kids memorize and later on write about in the faith statements. I mean, think about it:
~ Grace; free gift from God.
~ Salvation is this free gift through faith in Jesus.
~ We don’t (and can’t do this) and praise be to God for that; for we couldn’t depend on our choice.
~ And in case you forgot, this is a free gift.
~ And again, in case you forgot, this is not the results of your works.
~ Therefore, do not brag but rather worship God.
~ Rejoice that God has saved you and created you to glorify Him.
~ And enjoy your walk/fellowship with God.

Wow! That is good stuff but yet many people do not know this. Many people do not know about this free gift because they have not been told or told again and again. If this free gift is so awesome (and it is) then why not talk about it again and again and again and again and again and (well, you get the point, I hope)…

My friends, you have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ so shout it from the mountain tops that all the world may hear.
Praise be to God!

Let’s pray…

God of grace, Your mercy and faithfulness endures through all generations. Your love extends throughout Your never ending creation. And when I contemplate this, Oh holy God, I am in awe of You and therefore I have this desire that all may come to know Your amazing love and grace through Jesus Christ.

And so I lift up to You all those who do not call on the name of Jesus as their Lord and Savior; that they may come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. I’m not talking about a head knowledge about Jesus but an intimate knowing of the heart of Christ. May those who are reading this have their spirits stirred and transformed. May You open their eyes to see the truth of the Gospel. May they be joined to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

I also lift up to You those who are wavering in their faith. Maybe they are doubting the truth of the Gospel. Maybe they are drifting away from the church. Maybe some tragedy has turned them off from You. Whatever the case, oh God, may they remember Your love and come running back as the prodigal son found his father anxiously awaiting his return.

And for those, oh God, who think they stand firm; those who feel that nothing can touch them, humble them. May they be reminded that complacency is one of Satan’s greatest weapons. Strengthen their faith.

Faith is such an awesome gift from You through the Holy Spirit, so I ask that Your will may be done; that all those who call on the name of Jesus, may boldly go out and be Your instruments of salvation. May You be glorified in the faith of Your children.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

May God bless your day. May God give you opportunities to proclaim to people the saving love of God through Jesus Christ. And may God grant you the courage to not waste those golden opportunities.

The Pastor -|—

Martyrs ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor

Next week, Feb 23-27, 2015, I am schedule to broadcast devotions on our local radio station (KKOJ/KRAQ). And as I thought about what to do, I felt moved to write and lead the listeners in prayer over a number of topics. The following prayer is the one I wrote for Monday, Feb 23.

Scripture inspiration:
[9] When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. [10] They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” [11] Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. [Revelation 6:9-11]

Let us pray…

O Sovereign Lord, our hearts are still heavy with grief over the slaying of those Egyptian Christians at the hands of terrorists. We can’t help but weep over the brutality that was shown those Christians. There are many around the world who are fearful, angry, confused, discouraged and inflamed. Oh Sovereign Lord, may we not sin in our response to this tragedy. But I as remember those 21 individuals I give you thanks for their faithful witness. They stood strong to the end; showing many that faith in Jesus Christ does not mean eternal death but everlasting life. They met a cruel end but saw a glorious beginning. And so I ask for your Holy Spirit to move among us here in this country and in Christians all over the world. May you inflame our faith to stand strong and to cling to you, Oh Sovereign God. May we see in you the way to eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. May we see hope that is sure and certain. May we know a peace that is beyond all understanding.

Oh Sovereign Lord, I also humbly ask that you may bless the leaders of this land and the leaders around the world as they consider the next steps in this war on terror. I don’t know the answer and therefore I don’t have specific petitions to lift up to you in this regard. So I will simply raise my eyes to heaven and with a heavy sigh utter, “May your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. And as you accomplish your will, may we have the faith to say, “Amen” and “Come, Lord Jesus”. And so with heavy hearts we fall into your loving arms and seek a consolation that only you can give. And in the end, may you be glorified throughout all your creation. Oh Sovereign Lord, we worship your holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

The Pastor (with a heavy heart) -|—

Being content

/ The Pastor

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:13]

Earlier in this chapter, the apostle Paul talks about having learned the secret to being content in any and every situation. He says that he knows how to be brought low and to abound; how to face hunger and how to face plenty. No matter what, Paul is content.

What a gift.

But what strikes me about this text is not the statement about being content with very little or nothing, but rather being content with plenty. It seems like a no-brainer that one would be content with plenty but it is the source of the contentment that is at issue. For some, being content is wrapped up in the stuff and people they have in their lives. Their contentment might be through their life situation: job, status, position. They may look around themselves and say “Ahhhh…this is good” But often times, people like that are like the rich fool who tears down his barns to build bigger ones (Luke 12:16-21). Contentment in this sense only looks inward and not to others but more importantly, it is not sustainable.

For Paul it is not about material possessions or health or status. It’s not about what this world says is important. For Paul, what is important is faith in Jesus. For…

it is through faith in Jesus that helps us see that we already have everything.

And…

it is through faith in Jesus that helps us see that everything we have is nothing with him.

The “all things” from these words of Paul includes contentment, for true contentment CAN NOT be found outside of faith in Jesus. That is why some of the poorest Christians in the world are some of the most joyful. Contentment is wrapped up in their faith in Jesus and their hope of the resurrection. They know that they already have everything they need and that they are nothing without Jesus.

I can be content in God for He strengthens me; gives me hope; provides for me and loves me.

So remove your eyes from what you have and don’t have and focus on the cross. See a Savior that died and rose FOR YOU. Give thanks for the forgiveness that Jesus offers through that sacrifice. Cling to the promise of everlasting life. Bask in the love of God. Be content with this, for faith in Jesus is indeed everything you truly need.

May God open your eyes to see what Jesus has done for you. May the Holy Spirit create and strengthen faith within you. May true joy exude from the very fabric of your being. And, of course, may you be totally at peace; being content with your life.

Praise be God!

The Pastor -|—

Offering our gifts ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor

[Below is the offering prayer I wrote for worship on Feb 15 and it is one I am going to keep and pray as a reminder for myself and so I share it with you.]

Oh God, giver of all things seen and unseen. You have blessed your children to be a blessing to others. You have given us intellect and knowledge and reason so that we may earn a living. You have blessed us with the ability to provide for our families. But all these abilities come from you and therefore all that we have we owe to you. May we not be so selfish to think that we are entitled to anything and may we have the faith to give as an act of worship. So, Holy God, we ask for your blessings on these gifts given here this morning. May those called to leadership here have the knowledge and wisdom to use these gifts to advance the kingdom and to continue the ministry you have ordained us to do. And may you bless all the gifts you have given us: our time, talents and possessions, may we use them for your glory. And so we praise you and thank you, Oh God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

The reminder for me is that I own nothing. If it were not for God I would be naked and lost (not a pleasant thought so I’m sorry for that image). So I need to be reminded often to praise God for what I have and to bless others through what God has blessed me with.

So with that, may God bless your day that you may bless others.

Praise be to God!

The Pastor -|—

In preparation for God’s Word ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor

[Prayer that I will be using before I preach this morning]

Holy God…

I can’t help but repeat the words of the psalmist when I think of you, O Lord:

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Oh Lord, our majestic Lord, it blows me away that You are mindful of us, miserable sinners. And therefore we so need Your Word. For Your Word, Oh Lord, guides us into all truth and righteousness. Your Word gives life to all who listen and receive it. Your Word is wisdom. Your Word is salvation. There is no other word that can do that but yet we find ourselves drawn away from the path of righteousness, not for Your name’s sake but for all other’s names sake. We listen to those false words and doctrines and are enticed by the false beauty that they maliciously proclaim.

Oh majestic Lord, block our ears from those false doctrines and strengthen our faith. Improve our listening skills that we may hear and listen and receive Your Word. Oh Lord our Lord, how majestic is Your name and Word in all the world. May we be filled with your Spirit so that you may be praised as you ought to be praised. In Jesus we pray, Amen.

God bless you as you hear His Word proclaimed. May faith be created or strengthen in you. And may you be sent to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The Pastor -|—

Let us come and worship ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor

Holy Father, gracious and merciful, you are worthy but,

We don’t worship You as we ought.
We don’t bring what we ought.
We don’t look at you as we ought.

For we are filled with the filthiness of sin, distractions of this world, worries of all kinds, anger, hopelessness, pride, jealousy, hatred. It’s a wonder that you put up with us.

But your graciousness and love and faithfulness is unending. You don’t give as we deserve but You give as You desire. So may you remove from our hearts all that impedes our worship and may you receive our thanks and praise. May we hear this morning the living Word of hope from your holy scriptures. If anyone here does not believe in Jesus, may they come to faith. If anyone here is wavering in their faith, may they find a sure foundation in Christ Jesus. If anyone here is standing firm, may they be humbled and know from whom their hope comes from.

Holy God, we praise your name and lift our voices to you. Here us, heal us and send us that you may be glorified in this world. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

May your hearts be filled with praise this morning and may you not hold anything back as you gather for worship.

All glory, praise and worship be to God our Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Pastor -|—