Jesus

Monday devotions ~ Psalm 43

/ The Pastor

Have you ever been driving during a dark, moonless night on a lonely highway and shut off your headlights for a moment? Of course not, that would be silly and extremely dangerous. Now imagine doing that on a curvy mountain road with no guard rail – once again, dangerous and stupid. When it is dark, we need light. No one can possibly think it is wise to drive at night without light. In the same way, we need light to make our way through this life…

3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 

The psalmist here knows the dangers of maneuvering in the dark without light. And no, he is not talking about driving in the dark in northern Iowa. The psalmist is talking about reaching his desired destination through a dark world. And what is his destination? His destination is “your holy hill” (vs 3). This is a clear reference to Jerusalem, but more specifically the temple, the dwelling place of God. The psalmist asks for guidance “because of the opposition of the enemy.” (vs 2), the source of his mourning. The psalmist knows that the only way through this life is by the light of God’s Word. And of course, that brings to mind a great song.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path
When I feel afraid
Think I’ve lost my way
Still you’re there right beside me
And nothing will I fear
As long as you are near
Please be near me to the end

Our destination is not literally the temple in Jerusalem, but we are heading to the dwelling place of God. And, like the psalmist, we have opposition, which is often a source of mourning for many. And again like the psalmist, we cry out, “Send out your light and truth; let them lead me” You see, you will never get to God on your own. You need His light to show the Way. The world will never lead you to God, only God can do that, and He has done that through His Son, Jesus, the Light of the Word and, the Way and the TRUTH and the life. Jesus was sent as the light and the truth to save sinners, YOU, and bring them/you back to God. And once there…

4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

Yes, we will praise our God, forever.

LET US PRAY: Father God, You have shown me the way to You through Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. Light my path and grant me the faith to faithfully follow that light, and not seek the darkness. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Sunday Morning Devotions ~ August 20, 2023

/ The Pastor

SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 13:1-9 and Isaiah 55

LET US PRAY:
For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to You, oh God, without watering the earth, making it bring forth and spout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall Your Word be that goes forth from Your mouth.
It shall not return to You empty.
It shall not return to You void.
It shall not return to You having failed.
Your Word, mighty God, is powerful and therefore it shall accomplish that which You purpose.
Your Word, my awesome God, shall succeed in whatever You send it to do.
Your Word, Creator God, is the only word that can breathe life into dry bones.
As for me, because of Jesus Your Son and my Lord, my bones have life and thus I shall go out in joy and peace.
May the mountains and hills break forth in singing.
May Your people bow down in worship.
May Your works be made known to all people.
May Your servant be faithful with Your seed.
For Your Word has rained down and has given me living and daily bread, and thus seed for this sower. Therefore,
May the words of my mouth sing Your praises.
May the words of my mouth spew Good Seed.
May the words of my mouth be carried and blessed by the Spirit to create New Life; beautiful fruit from rich soil, growth that can only come from You.
Oh God, You are a faithful God and thus all glory belongs to You. In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.

Friday devotions ~ Psalm 41

/ The Pastor

This is the final Psalm in what is called Book 1. And again we have an individual lament, but it takes on a little different flavor. Verses 1 – 3 talk about the blessedness of serving the poor, and it appears the psalmist has done that, yet he is suffering in some way due to his sin. Enemies see his plight and “utter empty words” (vs 6), whispering among themselves and imagining the worst for him (vs 7). In verses 8 – 10, his enemies have all kinds of theories about why this is happening to him, but the psalmist still delights in the Lord. What an incredible faith.

But there are a couple things that ring loud in this Psalm. First, no amount of good works will cover your sin. You can be the greatest saint in the world, doing all kinds of good works (like helping the poor) but even that will not excuse one little sin. It is only by the mercy of God, His grace through faith in Jesus Christ, that forgives sin. I sometimes forget that and say things like, “Well, I preach and teach God’s Word to people. That has to count for something.” Well, it does not when it comes to sin. Once again, it is all grace.

And secondly, what others say about you is not what defines you. What defines you is what God says about you. Let your enemies say all they want about your life. You show them who has your life by how you live and respond to adversity. If you know Jesus then you know the truth and the Truth. Do not let outsiders decide your truth. YOU tell them the truth and be at peace about whose you are.

12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 
13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! 
Amen and Amen.

LET US PRAY: I praise You, O God, for Your awesome grace and mercy, and I confess that I sometimes try to take matters into my own hands. Remind me of the truth and convict my heart. May Jesus ever be before me as a witness to others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

The Battle

/ The Pastor

The following poem was inspired by a book I just started reading titled, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices” by Thomas Brooks…

Wake up, sleeping heart!
The father of lies,
Waits in the darkness,
To tear you apart.

Be alert, O my soul!
The cunning serpent,
Wily in his ways,
Seeks to take control.

Stand firm, child of Light!
The Father Almighty,
And Jesus our Lord,
The serpent they did fight.

Rejoice, O my heart!
The father of lies,
Because of the cross,
Forever WILL depart.

The King We Need ~ Philippians 2:5-11

/ The Pastor

This Sunday (April 2) is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. This is the Sunday we join the masses as we read/hear about Jesus riding into Jerusalem as a victorious king. People were shouting “Hosanna!” which means, “Save us”. The crowds laid cloaks and palm branches on the road for Jesus. The Pharisees were disstressed about the scene unfolding before them, so much so, they demanded that Jesus silence the crowds. But if they were silent the rocks would cry out. This is, after all, our victorious king, but not one you or I, or the crowds expect.

This king is not riding into town to unseat Caesar and claim his royal throne. This king is different. In the words of Philippians 2:5-11, this king is coming to “empty himself“, to take “the form of a servant“, “humble himself“, and be “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross“. This is not a king that anyone today would expect, but it is the king we got because he is the King we need.

And what king do YOU need? Well, that all depends on the god(s)/God ruling your life. If god(s) are ruling, then your king is weak and impotent, only giving you what you need to live now. But, if God is your God, then the king you need is Jesus, giving you what you need to live for all eternity with him.

Hosanna!

Jesus Knows

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

The following is my newest article for the Buffalo Center Tribune. To God be the glory!

Occasionally, I get inspired to write poetry. Sometimes it comes in bunches and at other times it is just one here and there. And sometimes they happen very suddenly and with little warning. The poem I have shared below is one such poem. I was preparing a sermon for Sunday, May 1 on John 21:15-19, a post-resurrection account of Jesus questioning Peter three times, “Do you love me”. The point of their interaction was that even though Jesus knew Peter was going to deny him three times; even though he knew the disciples would desert him, Jesus loves them, forgives them, and restores them. Jesus knew and still died on the cross for them, and for you and me. Jesus knows. That thought is just amazing. So, one day as I was traveling to Cabin Coffee in Forest City to sermon write, God spoke. He spoke the first stanza of the following poem. It was so captivating that I had to stop along the road in Thompson to write it down. I did not want to forget. As that stanza continued its swim in my heart, the other stanzas eventually fell into place. And so, to the glory of God, I share with you, “Jesus Knows”:


Jesus knows your joys
and sorrows.
He knows all your needs
and your tomorrows.
Jesus knows.


Jesus knows, and loves
to bestow
his grace and mercy.
You he won’t forgo.
Jesus loves.


Jesus loves, and heals
your hurting;
he restores your soul.
This I’m asserting.
Jesus heals.


Jesus heals, and reigns.
Reigns on high,
and now death is gone
with no more goodbye.
Jesus reigns.


When God speaks, sometimes you just need to stop what you are doing and listen. And if necessary, write it down. Amen.

In response to the Uvalde school shooting…

/ The Pastor

I posted the following in a private Bible reading Facebook group I lead, but wanted to make this more widely available. To God be the glory.

It is Wednesday morning. I went to bed last night with a heavy heart as I pondered the news of elementary school kids in Uvalde, TX slaughtered by an 18-year-old gunman. I have seen different numbers but it looks like 14 kids (2nd, 3rd or 4th graders – the ages of my kids) and a teacher. I am sure numbers will be updated as time goes on. As I pondered this news, praying and wondering, I was preparing to schedule our morning devotion for today. I had it written and ready, but I couldn’t do it. Instead I am writting this. I felt I needed to stop and acknowledge those who died, and to acknowledge the evil in this world that took their lives.

I am tempted to say something politcial right now, but instead I am turning my attention to the One who is in control. You see, God is still God. Jesus still reigns. Satan is still defeated. And death? Yes, that too will be gone someday. In the mean time, we live in a world of evil as sin fills our hearts and Satan works to drive a wedge between people. And I see that Happening today. With every tragic event like this, the rhetoric ramps up, people fire their attacks at one another and the divide gets wider and wider. Solutions seem to be simple and straightforward.  The only difference is who you ask. Ask people of this world and the answer is stricter laws. Ask those who find their peace under the Lordship of Jesus, the answer is right in front of us: Jesus. Does this mean we just sit back and be push overs? No! We stand up and fight. But more than that, we pray, pray and pray some more. We appeal to God in the name of Jesus and find our hope in the One who made all things and all people. In the words of Job, who’s world was falling apart around him, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25‭-‬27) Yes, my heart does faint within me today, but my Redeemers lives, thus my hope is not lost.

And so, I say it again and again: Pray. Remember the families who lost loved ones. Remember the grieving community. Remember the emergency workers who can not unsee the things they have seen. Remember and pray. Lord, in Your mercy…

Dead Things

/ The Pastor

The following is my article for the Buffalo Center Tribune that was published yesterday. To God be the glory.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5)


The women, in the post-resurrection verse above, were looking for a dead body, Jesus. They were there to perform an act of love by anointing his body per Jewish custom, but their hearts were breaking. Their Lord, teacher, friend was dead. All hope was lost, even though they should have expected the scene they found. But as it is, they are looking for a corpse as they were mourning. For you see, they were looking for hope and thought they found him. They were looking for life and thought Jesus was it. He was supposed to establish his kingdom, but now he’s dead, nothing more than a rotting shell. What a seemingly tragic end on that “bad” Friday. And now, they are at a tomb looking for his dead body. This was not how it was supposed to be. But it is not the end. Jesus had told them, three times, that he was going to die and then rise on the third day. And so, the angles blow them out of the water with their rhetorical question – Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told all of this, that he was going to die and then rise? And then it began to click. You see, this is not admonishment. The angles are not condemning the women for their unbelief, but rather proclaiming good news, THE Good News. They were proclaiming the “It is finished” that Jesus uttered before he died. He is not dead. Jesus is alive.


I think about this scene, and also see it as a commentary on our own lives. Whether we admit it or not we are looking for the living among dead things. In the act of sinning, we are looking for that which makes us feel alive, happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. And when we do not find what we are looking for or when the good feelings fade, you keep on sinning; keep on looking; and keep on finding “dead things”.


No life. No happiness. No fulfillment. The seeking continues.


But in Jesus there is life. In Jesus there is joy. In Jesus there is a future. In Jesus there is hope, for through his death and resurrection your sins are forgiven. And so…
In what “dead things” are you looking for life?
In what “dead things” are you looking for happiness?
In what “dead things” are you looking for fulfillment?


Look to Jesus and see your life unfold. Seek him in scripture. Seek him in prayer. Seek him in worship. Seek him with your whole life. But as you seek, know that you seek not because Jesus is hiding but you seek him as a way of turning away from the “dead things” of this world that can only promise death. When you seek Jesus, you will find him. Seek Jesus for he is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the very one for whom you are looking. Seek THE Living One. Jesus. To God be all glory, honor, praise and worship, in Jesus’ name, Amen.