Author: admin

Psalm 1

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.

3 

He is like a tree

    planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

    and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

4 

The wicked are not so,

    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Do you think that Jesus was a happy person? I certainly think of Jesus as being blessed, but happy?  Is there a difference?

Being blessed is more than just being funny, or friendly, or carefree.  But it also isn’t less than being happy.  In fact, the best way to think of being blessed is to be perfectly happy, balanced, joyful, and at peace.  To me, this describes Jesus.

It takes that kind of happiness and joy, that blessedness, to do the hard work of loving the world.  The sinful world, with all the troubles that are in it, easily sway the mood of anyone whose life is characterized by anything less than heaven’s perfect joy.  Faced with sin, death, and devil, who wouldn’t give up?  The answer is the one who is perfectly blessed, Jesus our Lord.

From the bliss of the Father’s Love, to the cross of Calvary, Jesus came to bring peace to this trouble earth.  Through the pain of sacrifice on the cross, Jesus never lost sight of the joy of your salvation.  It was Jesus’ blessedness, His Joy, His perfect faith, that are the character and substance of unity with the Father.  That blessedness is our eternal future through faith in Jesus.

Let us pray,

I thank you Lord Jesus for bringing the joy of heaven to earth and offering everything to me through faith in you.  Help me to serve in my life and vocation from faith, so that when I meet challenges, your joy will allow me to persevere in all trials.  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.

Mark 3:31-35

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Sometimes, siblings look alike.  In fact, we usually expect that children from the same parents will look alike.  We expect that they will “match” or “go together” as a family group. But, there is something else that makes us notice a resemblance, even when siblings not only don’t look alike, but are adopted.  I’m talking about the shared values and behavior of a family.  These are actually more important than just appearance.  

Jesus taught that those who do the will of God are His true family.  The people who said that His mother and brothers were looking for Jesus gave Jesus an opportunity to teach them about the most important family, namely the family of our heavenly Father.  Those who do the will of God, show that they are Jesus’ true family as well.

Jesus came to offer Himself on the cross to save us, because His Father is gracious and loving.  God’s generosity is shown in giving everything for our salvation as gift through faith in Jesus.  As we believe in Jesus, we are set free from sin to show our true family resemblance.  God’s love for the world, resulted in Jesus coming to save.  Jesus coming to save, results in our salvation. The Holy Spirit’s work grants us faith and transforms us.  By the Grace of God, we are His workmanship and daily resemble our true family. 

May God grant you joy today as you remember that you are truly Jesus’ family because you believe in Him. Through daily repentance and renewal by the Holy Spirit all people see clearly the resemblance of a Christian to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray,

Lord I thank you for bringing me into your family through my baptism where I was united personally with Jesus’ saving work.  May your will be evident in my life today so that all people will see you in 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.

Mark 3:28-35 

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The first time you read this passage and understand that there is such a thing as an unforgivable sin, you may begin to fear that somehow you have indeed committed that very sin.  This is understandable.  As sinners, we deal with guilt all of the time.  So, if we hear of a sin, we very easily can begin to feel that since we feel guilt, we are guilty of that sin.

But, we must also remember that Satan will use our sense of guilt to drive us to despair.  Satan will cause proper guilt to transform into an overactive conscience leading to despair. In this case, the despair would be horrible indeed. For, in the case of the unforgivable sin, there is no recourse, no second chance, and no forgiveness possible.  

So, what is the unforgivable sin?  According to this scripture reading, it is “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”  What does that mean?  The context of this reading was of people who were rejecting Jesus, even though they knew who He was.  This was even in the face of HIs undeniable miracles and God’s Word that said such miracles were a sign of the true Messiah.  The rejection of the Holy Spirit’s work to preach the truth of Jesus to their hearts and give them faith was complete. They called the Holy Spirit an unclean spirit.  There could be no more total, mindful, rejection of Jesus and the Grace of God than that.  They had placed themselves outside of God’s Grace and forgiveness.

So, have you indeed committed the unforgivable sin?  To sin against the Holy Spirit is to reject His Work, to reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior, even though you know who He is, and to treat the Holy Spirit with blasphemous contempt.  Such a person has no remorse for unbelief and no concern over the unforgivable sin.  If you have more questions about this matter, this would be a good opportunity to call your pastor and discuss your concerns with him personally.

The Holy Spirit preaches that Jesus is true God and true man, who came into the world to save us.  The Holy Spirit teaches all that Jesus did, including His death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and His resurrection from the dead on the third day.  God the Holy Spirit gives faith to all who believe in Jesus, confess their sins and receive God’s forgiveness.  Without the gifts of the Holy Spirit we would be lost indeed.  Therefore we thank Him for preaching to us still through God’s Word and granting us faith to trust in Jesus.  

Let us pray,

I thank you, O Holy Spirit, for having mercy on me, proclaiming the Love of the Father, the gifts of my Savior Jesus, and granting me faith to believe the Gospel.  I ask for your continued spiritual gifts so that will I remain strong in faith and receive the gift of eternal life.  Grant power to those who proclaim the Gospel to others, that their message may have your power to grant saving faith.  I ask this 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.

Jesus Binds Satan and Sets Us Free

Mark 3:22-27

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

Jesus miracles were undeniable.  Everyone could see that people were being healed, and, incredibly, even those who suffered from demon possession were being set free.  People were overjoyed.  Well, most people were overjoyed.

Those who rejected Jesus saw His miracles as very bad news.  They wanted others to dismiss Jesus as a fake. They wanted to keep their positions of power with the people and the Roman rulers.  To them, Jesus was a threat. Why couldn’t they just be happy for the many people who found relief by God’s Grace through Jesus miracles?  They couldn’t rejoice with them because they idolized their power.  Therefore they were filled with hatred towards Jesus.

Since they couldn’t deny Jesus’ miracles, they took a different approach.  They didn’t deny that the demon possession was real and horrible.  They just claimed that Jesus cast out demons because He was one of them.  They ridiculed Jesus and slandered the Holy Spirit.

Jesus pointed out that their claims made no sense at all. A divided house will fall.  Satan will not cast out himself.  But, what Jesus’ enemies had revealed was their own hatred towards Jesus and their own idolatrous love of power. Their sins against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven.

Jesus had come to destroy the horrible rule of sin, death and devil in this creation.  The Holy Spirit, who came upon Jesus in power at HIs baptism, bore witness to the love of the Father for the World in Jesus ministry.  Ultimately, on the cross, Jesus bore the sin and sorrows of the world, and in His resurrection broke the bonds of the evil one forever.

Knowing Jesus through faith is a gift of God the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is the one who still sets people free both now and forever.  Though still maligned, the Lord Jesus calls all people to repentance and faith through His church.  May God grant all people Grace to hear and faith to believe His good news.

Let us pray,

I thank you Lord for enduring the scorn of mankind and faithfully fulfilling your ministry for me.  Help me through daily repentance and faith in you to find freedom and the power to walk in your steps.  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.

Mark 3:20-21

20 Then (Jesus) he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

“What was I thinking!”  Have you ever said that to yourself? It is so easy to get so preoccupied with the distractions of life that we miss important things right in front of us.  Perhaps it was overlooking something important on your calendar, or just letting the pot boil over on the stove.  

In Jesus’ case, He was involved with His ministry so much, that He couldn’t even eat.  Those closest to Him thought that He had gone too far!  They thought that Jesus had lost His perspective!  They even wondered if He was out of His mind.

This was far from the case.  Jesus wasn’t out of His mind.  In fact, given the situation, Jesus was the only one who had a true understanding of the needs of all.  He was the only one who was actually in a right mind, because Jesus knew the profound need for salvation that pressed heavily upon all people.  He had come to carry that heavy burden.  Not having time to eat was just the beginning.

Jesus carried all our sins, death, and suffering to the cross.  There Jesus removed our guilt.  It is only through faith in Jesus that we can be in our right mind.  Forgiven and restored we are able to perceive what is actually important, life giving, and loving.

Are you in your right mind?  One good sign is when you make time in your life for the Word of God and prayer.  The Devil, the world and our own sinful distractions will never leave room for Jesus and His Word.  But, by the Grace of God, the Holy Spirit can open our hearts and our schedules to meditation on God’s Word, prayer, and thanksgiving.  God will put us in our right mind, and through faith in Jesus, lead us to have time for everything that is actually vital.

Let us pray,

I thank you Lord for your perfect devotion to your calling and sacrifices for me.  Help me, as I receive my daily bread, to remember your acceptance of hunger for my sake.  Oh Holy Spirit, order my life according to your wisdom and the things that are truly valuable.  Help all your people to repent of our distracted sinful ways and find peace in your word, prayer, and fellowship.  In your name I pray.  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.

2 Corinthians 5:1

Our Heavenly Dwelling

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Have you ever camped in a tent?  When I was a boy, my parents decided we were going camping.  The first time out, they borrowed a tent and headed into the mountains of southern California.  The tent that they borrowed was common for the day.  It wasn’t like today’s tents made of lightweight and waterproof materials, and outfitted with screens and easy to use zippers.  The tent we used was made of canvas, had no windows, no screens, no floor and only had a tent flap that fastened ties. It was what today people would call an outfitters tent.  

I have no bad memory of that first outing.  But, my mother shared her memory.  She said that we were instantly filthy.  So, it wasn’t long until my parents upgraded their camping gear.  They bought a 1961 Shasta Airflyte camper.  That camper went on to become a classic!  It followed our family around for decades and was used for camping, moving, and guest accommodations.  

More wonderful than a beautiful home to an outfitters tent is the the eternal dwelling that God has prepared for us at the resurrection as compared to our earthy existence.  Our mortal bodies, troubled by sin, are often miserable.  But our Lord Jesus has had mercy on us and come to save us.  He suffered with us in this creation and He died for us on the cross.  Through faith in Him we have forgiveness and the certainty of sharing His resurrection and eternal life.  This is our eternal dwelling place and comfort in all earthly losses.

Let us pray

I thank you Lord Jesus for dwelling in a mortal body, and bearing my sins upon the cross.  I praise you for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.  Help me in the midst of trials of this life to remember my future with you and find comfort in the eternal home that awaits me.  Help all those who are struggling with sickness, sorrow, depression or anxiety this day. Allow them faith to turn to you and receive the eternal home, peace, and comfort, that only you can provide.  In your name I pray,  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.

John 3: 16-17

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:17 follows one of the most memorized verses in the Bible, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  What more could be said of such a clear statement of the Love of the Father for the world and His intention in sending His Son Jesus than John 3:16?  Apparently, there is more.  There is verse 17!

Verse 17 states the Gospel from the negative perspective!  Here God says clearly and simply why He did NOT send Jesus.  Jesus did not come to condemn the world.  Why is this so important?

The person with a guilt stricken conscience needs to know this.  God’s love is totally unexpected for the one who sees his sin.  The one whose conscience is dead has no fear of God or judgement.  Such a person needs to hear the Law of God clearly so that he or she will repent and not be lost forever.  But, the one who has heard the Law and understood his or her condition, needs to understand the Grace, Love, and mercy of God.  He could never dream such good news. Instead, he would despair!

Therefore, John 3:17 tells us what we would never have expected.  God didn’t send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world.  Jesus death on the cross was intended to remove the death we deserved and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is our sure and certain hope of eternal life.  God’s Word is complete.  It tells us that God sent His Son out of a divine love for the world.  And it tells us that Jesus first came not to condemn but to save.  

At Jesus second coming, He will come to judge the earth.  On that day He will separate the good from the bad, those who believe in Him from those who will not.  Through faith in Jesus, we need have no fear of that day.  In love for all others, we now share the good news of John 3:16 and 3:17 with all who will hear.

Let us pray,

Lord I thank you for coming into the world to save me.  Help me to daily remember you great gift, confess my sins, and trust in your redeeming work.  For all those who are in despair about their life or situation, grant them faith in you to find hope through your salvation for them.  In your name I pray,  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.

Acts 2:14a, 22-24

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Have you ever been at a loss for words?  Some people would describe themselves as “quiet.”  Words don’t come easily and so they often don’t say anything.  Other people are talkative, words come easy to them.  But, something may leave us all at a loss for words.  That is when we want to share Jesus with another person.  Many people wonder about what to say!

Jesus’ disciples example is helpful for those wondering what to say about Jesus.  They didn’t try to be Jesus and take up His teaching style.  Instead, they remembered the role that Jesus had given to them!  Jesus told them that they would be His witnesses.  The disciples were to speak to others of what they themselves had heard and seen of Jesus life and ministry.  They were called to share what Jesus said and did.

This is the same for us all!  We share what we have been given through faith in Jesus. We share what we have experienced as God’s people in our daily lives.

In this way, the Christian’s witness is all about Jesus.  We believe that He came into the world to save us.  He lived the perfect life and died on the cross for the forgiveness of all our sins.  We confess our faith in Jesus resurrection from the dead and our confidence for eternity through faith in His perfect life and work for us.

Some of us can’t help but speak with many words.  Some of us use few.  But, all of the words that God’s people speak in faith are carried by God the Holy Spirit with the power to save those who hear.  May God grant us each the faith to bear witness to what Jesus has said and done for us. God the Holy Spirit will grant power to our witness to do God’s Will.

Let us pray,

I thank you Lord for your mighty acts that have saved me.  Enable me to faithfully bear witness to your love to all people.   In your name I pray, 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.

Isaiah 6:8

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Isaiah was a great prophet, chosen by God, to speak to His people.  Through Isaiah, God revealed His wrath against impenitent sinners and His grace to those who would repent and turn again to Him in faith.  God revealed the events that were coming in the future in the light of HIs eternal plan of salvation.  Isaiah’s willingness to perform His divine call is clearly proclaimed in the scriptures with the memorable words, “Here I am! Send me.”

None of us has the call that God gave specifically to Isaiah to serve as a prophet.  But, is there a sense in which this memorable line could be spoken by us?  I think that there is!

In your baptism you were united with your Lord Jesus.  His perfect life, became yours!  When your heavenly Father looks at you, and as you believe in Jesus, He see’s Jesus perfect life.  Jesus death on the cross is the death of your sins. No longer do your sins separate you from God.  Jesus resurrection is your future!  In the end, you will rise to live in God’s presence.  Even now you rise each day to newness of life in the Holy Spirit.

This is who God has called you to be in your baptism. Your baptism unites you with the body of Christ, the church.  As part of Christ’s body, the church,  you have a calling.  Jesus commanded His church to take the Gospel into all nations.  

To fulfill this calling, God has given the individuals of his church a great variety of talents and abilities. In this way God will fulfill HIs mission through His church in anticipation of the resurrection of the dead, judgement day, and eternal life.

You aren’t Isaiah, neither am I.  But, we are baptized!  We are redeemed by the Lord Jesus and members of His body the church!  We are gifted in a wide variety of ways by God the Holy Spirit.  We have a calling to fulfill.  Therefore, we can say, along with the prophet, “Here am I send me.”  May God grant us faith to fulfill our calling joyfully.  

Let us pray,

Lord I thank you for giving me the gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation.  I thank you for making me part of your body, the church, and giving me the unique gifts you have chosen for me to use in my life.  May I be a faithful witness to your Good News throughout my life and joyfully respond to your call as did your prophet Isaiah, “Here I am. Send me!”

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.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Do you read labels when you shop at the grocery store?  Often, when it comes to packaged food, it is good to know what we are consuming.  But, the label has another bit of information that is also very helpful.  Often this bit of information is hard to find.  But, it is there.  I’m speaking of the expiration date.

The expiration date, or the “sell by” date, tells us when a product should be used.  Though some products are still good, and only somewhat diminished in quality by storage, the fresher the food, the more likely it is to spoil.  The better the food is for you, the more likely you will need to make sure it is fresh!

All of this underscores the temporary nature of this world, and highlights the value of the gift that God has given to the world in His Son Jesus.  Through Jesus God gives a gift that has no expiration date.  Baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we are united with the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  

On the day of our physical birth, we we given an expiration date, namely, the day of our death.  But, on the day of our baptism, our expiration date was rewritten by the Lord Himself.  As it is written.“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  

Let us pray,

I thank you Heavenly Father for giving me the gift of life, and blessing me with the gift of eternal life through Jesus.  You have taken away my expiration date, and given me eternal life.  Strengthen all who believe, and open the ears of all who have yet to believe and be saved.   In Jesus Name I pray 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.