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John 17:11

11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

We live in a contentious age.  We experience this in our own country where the war of words and open conflicts in society continue on a daily basis.  Furthermore, we see contention in news reports from around the world where people battle with words and weapons in the most violent ways.  We live in a contentious age. Disunity reigns.  

It is no wonder that Jesus prays for the unity of His disciples.  Jesus prayed for the unity of the disciples who were gathered around Him during His earthly ministry and He prays for the unity of His church of all time.  Yes, Jesus prays for you!  Against the warring spirit of this age, Jesus prays for our Unity with one another, through God’s name. This true unity is a blessing for us, and the key to success in our calling to share the Gospel of Jesus with all nations. 

Because the Gospel is so important for all people, and because our Lord Jesus loves His people, He prays for our protection from the ruin of the present age through disunity.  Jesus prayed that we would be kept in God’s name and protected in this present age.  When Jesus instituted Holy Baptism, He provided the means for this to happen.

When we were baptized, we were baptized in the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Through the gift of baptism, we are united with Jesus, and through Jesus we are one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Thus made one with God, we are daily made one with each other in His church.  Through the power of His name, God protects us from the destructive spirit of this age.  He allows us to experience the Grace of our Father, the guiding power of the Holy Spirit, and the forgiveness of our Lord Jesus.  As we share what we are receiving from God, the warring spirit of this age is overcome by the rule and reign of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The disunity of our age, and the attacks of the evil one will rage on in this world.  But, we are not discouraged.  For we are securely kept by the name of God, the name that we received in our baptism.  In the power of that name we live each day, repenting of our sins, forgiving one another, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus with all nations.

And should you have a particularly contentious day, remember this.  Jesus prays for you. And find comfort in these words of blessing spoken after each baptism, at confirmation, and now for you; “May God the Father who has given you the new birth of water and the Spirit, and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with His Grace to life everlasting.  Peace be with you. Amen”

Let us pray,

I thank you Lord Jesus for showing me what true unity looks like in your perfect life of faith, obedience to my Heavenly Father’s Loving Will to save me, and the gift of the continuing presence of God the Holy Spirit in your church to this day.  Strengthen me daily in repentance, and faithful living.  Grant me a heartfelt love for others and an appreciation of every gift of unity that you provide.  I thank you for the gift of my baptism.  AMEN

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

YouTube isn’t working well this morning. For some reason it won’t play the video I uploaded. I also post on Odysee.com. Today would be a good day to try out that link if you haven’t already.

https://odysee.com/Daily-Prayer-05-19-2021-custom:8984b6c770763b470389a344eb1283aaf8943a45

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1 John 5:14-15

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

God gives us confidence towards Him and this is key when it comes to our praying. How does God give us confidence towards him?  He hears us.  God answers our prayers. God gives us whatever we ask that is according to His Will.  

Of course, here is where we meet the challenge of faith.  God gives us whatever we ask that is in accordance with His perfect Will.  The challenge is this, we struggle with our imperfect nature, limited understanding, and weak faith.

Therefore in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray, “Thy Will be done.”  What does this mean? 

First of all, such a petition in the Lord’s Prayer is a confession of faith in God’s trustworthiness.  We can have confidence towards him.  God will give us what we need, even without our prayers.  Why pray if God will faithfully give us what we need anyway?  In confessing this vital truth about God’s trustworthiness our faith is strengthened and we are enabled to pray with confidence.

Furthermore, as we pray “Thy Will be done” we are also praying that God would help us in our weaknesses.  We pray that the assaults of the evil one would be broken, our sinful nature would be subdued, and that God would keep us in His Word and faith throughout our lives. 

Those who pray according to God’s perfect Will see their prayers answered and recognize the abundant gifts of God’s love around them.  As we pray in faith, we are encouraged and have confidence towards God, knowing that God will hear us, give us what we need, and sustain us to eternal life.

If you are praying during a time of trial, sickness or suffering, confident, faithful, prayer is especially important.  For such times, remember Jesus.  As He died on the cross for the sins of the world, He truly suffered.  Yet, His prayer in the the Garden of Gethsemane was not to be spared the cross, but to fulfill the will of God, and the perfect Love of His Father for the world.  Through faith in Jesus, the sins of the world are forgiven and we have the absolute assurance of eternal life.  

God grants faith to all His saints especially during times of trial, so that we remember in His saving Will in Jesus, and are strengthened in our suffering.  Therefore, we pray all the more confidently during times of trial.  For as our Lord Jesus is risen from the dead, so shall our Heavenly Father hear our prayers, answer them according to His Will, and at last bring us to everlasting life.

Let us Pray

I thank you Lord for hearing my prayers and granting me the requests that are truly good, those that are according to your Will.  Help me to continually grow in faith and prayer, so that when the challenges of life are upon me, I will continue to pray in full confidence of your love for me and all people.  I ask this in your name.  AMEN

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

1 John 5:12-13

12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Would you like to know the future?  It is tempting.  But, there is another side to knowing what tomorrow will bring.  What if the future is frightening or sad?  In that case, we may prefer to not know anything at all.  

We don’t know everything about tomorrow.  But, this isn’t  simply accepting an “ignorance is bliss” attitude about life.  Not at all!  We trust in the Lord, therefore, our comfort is in knowing that our future is safely in our Heavenly Father’s hands.  

We are at peace and can be optimistic about life in all circumstances because God sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus suffered all the terrors of this life for our sake.  He took upon His shoulders every heavy burden when He carried our cross and died for our sins.  God gave us His Son as a gift through faith so that we will have a blessed future with Him.

What difference does this gift make?  God’s Word for today states  “Whoever has the Son has life.”  Through His servant John, God’s Word goes on to say why telling us this is important. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” 

We don’t know the details of tomorrow, but because we have our Lord Jesus, we know our real future.  We have eternal life. 

This knowledge makes all the difference when fears about tomorrow loom. God gives us courage.  We have the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus.  Because of Jesus and His victory for us, we have confidence whatever tomorrow will bring.

Let us pray,

I thank you Heavenly Father for giving me everything when you gave your Son Jesus for my salvation.  Strengthen my faith each day so that the fears of life will never rob me of the joy that you have given to me for all eternity.  Help me this day to live in faith, courage, and joy as I fulfill the calling you have given to me.  In Jesus name, Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;

give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses 

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory 

forever and ever.  Amen.

Psalm 1:6 

…for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,  but the way of the wicked will perish.

Have you ever met someone you felt that you had known already for a long time?  Often, when people have a similar background or come from the same home town, they have so much in common that they feel that they know each other already.  

I remember being in the basement of a church.  This particular church belonged to a different denomination than my church.  Despite being a different denomination, the church felt very familiar.  I was comfortable there.  At first, it would seem, that the commonality was that the church was founded by German immigrants.  The descendants of the founders were still among the members of the church.  My church was also from German immigrants. That would account for something.  But, there was more.  

The main thing that made me feel at home was that the church was a Christian church.  Though we had different doctrinal understandings, we had the same God.  Jesus Christ was the Savior proclaimed in that church.  Despite the differences that I knew existed, I felt that I knew them because I know their Lord Jesus.  

If this is true from the perspective of a limited ability to know someone, how much more is this true for God who searches our hearts.  Through baptism are welcomed into God’s family through the gift of faith. In this faith we are renewed in our inner bring by God the Holy Spirit. We are taught to know Jesus Christ and His gift to us through the cross for our forgiveness and eternal life.  As we grow in faith, we are changed from being God’s enemies into being God’s friends.  Jesus Himself called us HIs friends and speaks openly to us in His Word the Bible.  Through God’s Word we come to know God, and God helps us so that our lives are no longer confused and painful due to sin.  Instead, as we learn to know His ways, we are walking the familiar path of Jesus.  His path leads to eternal life.

The way of the wicked will perish, but thanks be to God, …the Lord has placed us on the way of the righteous.  Through faith in Jesus, sins forgiven and lives restored, we walk with Him to life everlasting where we will not only perfectly know God but we will at last be perfectly united with each other in the joy of God’s eternal kingdom of all His Saints in light.

Let us pray

I thank you God for your patience, mercy, and grace.  You know me and have saved me through your Holy one, Jesus.  Help all your children through faith to continually walk in His path to life eternal.  Helps us to care for one another and rejoice in this, that you know our ways and lead us to walk in Jesus’ steps.  In HIs name, AMEN

The Lord’s Prayer

Psalm 1: 1-2

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

What would you do if you won the lottery?  That is a question that you may have heard someone answer, without your even having asked!  You may have heard someone say something like, “If I ever win the lottery, I’ll do this, or buy that.”  Or you may have heard it said this way, “I’d never do that unless I won the lottery!”  Sometimes, this is just joking and idle talk. Sometimes it is pretty clear that the person is putting faith in the lottery for happiness.

This is a sad situation.  The odds of winning the lottery are shockingly low.  The return on the money spent on the lottery is so low that the lottery has been jokingly referred to as a tax on people who are bad at math.  But, it isn’t just a problem for the hopeless fellow taking a hopeless chance to find happiness.  It is also a problem for leaders in government who promote lotteries as a source of income. They don’t want to bring higher taxes to voters, who demand many services.  So, instead of facing up to the challenge of telling people what it will cost,  it is easier for them to hope a lottery with be a magical source of income that will keep everyone happy.  This is just another example of trying to buy happiness.

What is particularly sad, is that God offers the most profound happiness for free!  This kind of happiness is called being blessed.  As Psalm 1 states, “Blessed is the man…”. How is such a person so abundantly happy?

This is the situation for the one whose, “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” God fills us with Hope, not disappointment.  God doesn’t sell us a ticket. God gives faith in Jesus. Through faith in Jesus our deep needs are met, and we are blessed.

When Jesus came to save us, He gave Himself on the cross to take away all of the false hopes, false gods, sins and delusions that rob us of life.  God didn’t give us a false hope that makes us poorer.  He gave us everything in Jesus and makes us rich.

Blessed is the man

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

God has blessed us today. As we have delighted in the Law of the Lord, repented of our sins, and put our faith in our Lord Jesus we are rich.  We can be happy, generous, and joyful in the Lord Jesus.  We can truly care for others. Indeed, we are blessed.

Let us pray

I thank you Lord God heavenly Father for making me rich through the gift of your Son Jesus.  Help me each day to rejoice in your gifts given to me in my baptism.  Help me to turn away from the lies of the evil one which would make me focus on my emptiness and material wealth rather than the bounty you gave to me in Jesus.  Help me to be generous to others, and especially help those who are struggling with feelings of hopelessness by enabling me to kind, generous and caring to them.  I ask this in your name.  AMEN

Scripture

I John 4: 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

Fear of punishment is part of our every day lives. If we, as sinners, lack this fear, we behave in foolish ways.  Therefore, God uses the fear of punishment for good in human society.  St. Paul writes about this in Romans 13:3, “3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” In a society composed of sinful human beings, God holds human government responsible for this important public role.  No government is perfect. Some abuse their power. Some refuse to protect all members of society. Some use their power to terrorize and control those they are called to protect. Governments are composed of sinful people.  In the end, all governments will be held responsible for their actions by God and will have to give an account to God for their stewardship of this high responsibility.  When we pray “give us this day our daily bread” in the Lord’s prayer we are praying for our government!  The government, in restraining evil, is called to support all people so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives, and raise our families in faith in God, good order in our homes and personal discipline in our dealings with others. Governments that fail in this regard, have nothing but terror to face at the judgement.  Therefore, we should pray for those in authority.

What are governments supposed to do?  The course outbreaks of sin are supposed to be restrained by the governing authorizes and, therefore, a proper fear of punishment for those who are tempted to hurt others exists.  If the aggressive and criminal are allowed to tear apart the fabric of a community, everyone suffers.  Lacking the hard boundaries of civil law, a society falls into violence, chaos, and disorder.   When governments fail to do their job and restrain violence, rioting and disorder quickly take over.  When governments continue to fail to maintain order, people fall into vigiantilism and take matters into their own hands.  Vigiantilism is no answer either, for such responses to the outbreaks of sin are contrary to God’s plan for order. Obviously, our world is deeply flawed and sinful.  How are any of us not going to live in terror of God’s judgement?  How can we begin to think of loving God when this God has every right to destroy us?

We have no hope of ourselves, but, God, who is perfect in justice, is also perfect in Love.  God fulfills the Law, He doesn’t just fail to enforce it.  He came, in the flesh, Jesus, true God and man to bear the horrible penalty for humanity’s, crimes, murders, sins, dishonesty and all other sins.  Jesus fulfilled the law in HIs life and then offered Himself on the cross to pay the debt of human wickedness.  In perfect Love, God forgives the sins of all who trust in Jesus.  They are forgiven as a gift through faith. Those who are baptized, as Jesus commanded, are incorporated into His body, the church.  In His body, we are transformed into God’s children and our slavery to sin is daily overcome.  We are at last free in Jesus! 

So, where is the fear of God?  There is no terror of God for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Jesus has removed the punishment that we deserved and allowed us to relate to God as a loving Father. God is the Father who cares for us and will bring us to the joys of eternal life.  That is the life that we live now in this creation.

This is the Gospel.  God has taken away our terror and given us HIs love in Jesus.  He has restored us to Himself and granted us eternal life.  He has freed us from our slavery to sin and strengthens us to walk in His ways. As it is written in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”  AMEN

Let us pray

Heavenly Father I thank you for your rich grace and mercy in sending your Son Jesus to be my Savior.  I praise you Lord Jesus for bearing the just penalty for my sin, and also the sins of the whole world.  Strengthen my faith in you that as your forgiven child I may walk in your ways now and forever.  I pray for those who govern our nation and communities so that they will fulfill their responsibility to restrain evil.  Grant those who believe in you and serve in government courage and faithfulness in their service.  In your name I pray, AMEN

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I John 4: 14-15  14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 

How can you know that you are saved?  It seems like things are changing so much in the world.  Things that people counted on as true are being torn down.  Blame and guilt are being tossed around like firebombs.  A person who doesn’t respond with aggression, may well respond with depression.  One could easily question everything and even doubt the substance of the Gospel.

So, how can you know that you are saved?  This isn’t just an exercise in religious knowledge, a sort of easy slam dunk for those who confess the Gospel.  It is a real question that helps us to sift out the encroachment of pride and self righteous attitudes.  If these are allowed to continue in our hearts, we are actually weaker.  We are more susceptible to doubt. 

God’s Word says something amazing about how you can know that you are saved.  I John 4:15  “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”  What does this mean?

First of all, a confession isn’t just a statement of fact.  A confession is an “I believe” statement of faith.  To confess that Jesus is the Son of God is to confess everything that God tells us about Jesus in the Holy Bible.  Jesus, true God and true Man, came into the world to save us.  He died on the cross, rose from the grave, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved!  Whoever does not believe will be condemned.  This is the Christian faith.

And it is important to remember that this faithful confession is itself a gift of God.  

Do you remember the meaning of the 3rd Article of the Apostles’ Creed which teaches the work of God the Holy Spirit.  There we are taught of the truths of God’s Word when we confess, “I believe that I cannot of my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him, but, the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”  We believe because God, rich in Grace, has given us faith!

So, how are you saved?  You are saved by the Grace of God through faith in Jesus. You are saved because God has created a new heart in you and given you faith. Therefore it is clearly true and joyfully true that,  “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” 

Amidst all the changes and uncertainty of this life, nothing shall change this eternal work of God. As it is written in Isaiah 43:1 ““Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Let us pray,  I thank you Lord Jesus for giving me the miracle of faith and allowing me to confess that you are the Son of God.  I praise you for abiding in me, and overcoming, day after day, all the powers of the evil one, forgiving my sins and strengthening me in the life of faith.  Help me to find comfort each day in this great joy and blessing.  Bless us, your church, as we bring the gift of this message to all nations.  I ask this in your name.  AMEN

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God’s blessings always! 

One Restored, Lee Daniel Johnson, 

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I John 4:4

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Often the world feels like a frightening place.  We fear crime, disease, and threats from enemies at home and abroad. We have become aware of unseen threats to our, personal freedoms, income, security, identity, and privacy.  We have serious concerns for our lives, livelihoods, and the future freedom and welfare of our families.  The powers in the world seem so large that a rational person could be tempted to give up hope.

I am not going to lie to you and say that the condition of the world really isn’t all that bad. But, I also am not going to tell you to simply to give up.  What are the alternatives?

I could tell you just to have a positive attitude.  But, that would be wrong on two counts.  First, the threats are real.  Pretending things are just fine is lying to yourself.  Secondly, a positive outlook that ignores reality is foolish. Like the old phrase, “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die” such thinking is even more depressing.  Just drowning our fears by numbing up with drugs or alcohol is perhaps the most common approach among fearful people.  But, this only makes problems worse.  Eventually the numbing effects of food, drink, and drug wear off and reality comes rushing back with a vengeance.  

I actually have good news for you.  This good news is real and comes from God Himself through his Word.  Listen to God’s Word for today again.  This is from I John 4:4.

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

As powerful as the threats in the world truly are, God is greater.  And God isn’t far away.  In fact, He is in you!

How is God in you?  When you were baptized, God incorporated you into the body of Jesus.  He took away the condemnation of your sins through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection.  God overcame your slavery to sin, and through His Gospel sets you free to live in faith towards God and love towards your neighbor.  

God’s greater power is seen in the life of Jesus.  How does the life of Jesus show God’s greater power?  The world is all about retribution, and filling personal emptiness by taking from others.  God is greater because God is abundant in all good things.  Therefore, in the case of sin, God can do the impossible,  God forgives. Jesus willingly subjected Himself to the reality of human sin and restores those who trust in Him as a gift through faith alone.  The world is all about taking from others, because it has nothing of its own. Without robbing others the world is bankrupt.  God, is the source of all things.  God is full of underserved gifts, a grace to all who trust in Him.  God comes to us with the gifts of life and even makes HIs gifts personal through Baptism, Holy Communion, and the preaching of His Word.

I think you are starting to get the idea, aren’t you?  We are called from fear of the world to faith in God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As fearful as the enemies of Christ appear, their threats were broken when Christ rose from the dead.  It is this true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, abundant in life and rich in every blessing, that is within us.  God is truly greater than any evil in the world. And from His riches we are enabled to forgive those who sin against us.

Jesus sent His disciples into all nations with this good news.  He sends those who believe in Him into this world as witnesses to God’s greater power and peace.  May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your heart and mind in Jesus today and always.  And may God bless your witness that you may be a source of encouragement to all living in fear.  Amen!  He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Let us pray,  Lord God heavenly Father, I thank you for your abundant mercy and grace that has saved me through my Lord Jesus Christ.  Grant me your grace towards all people, that they may see my life, and give you glory for your love.  In Jesus Name, AMEN