Gender: Male
Status: Married
Age: 44
Sign: Aquarius
City: Cerritos
State: California
Country: US
Signup Date: 11/28/2005
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Sunday, November 01, 2009
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Current mood:  catalyzed
Category: Religion and Philosophy
[CENTER]The Gathering of Concordia and Passion
All Saint’s Day, November 1st, 2009
The Reforming of All Saints!
Rev. 7:9-1[/CENTER]
[CENTER]† IN JESUS NAME †[/CENTER]
(it is our tradition here at Concordia, that our two congregations, the one which gathers and worships in English, and the one that worships in Mandarin Chinese, gather for a united service twice a year, on Pentecost and on Reformation or All Saints. The service is both in Mandarin and English and is incredible. In 2009, a third congregation which meets on our campus, asked if they could join us. This is the sermon for that celebration, preached in English, and translated "on the fly" by one of Passion Church's members.)
Grace to you, the people of God, from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ! AMEN!
A Site to See…..
Abraham….
What no eye could see! Nor ear here… nor even be conceived!
I am sure it will go un-noticed on that day…yet I would love to see the joy manifest in the face of one man on the day described in our reading from Revelation 7. I would love to see the joy on Abraham’s face, the inexpressible joy as he sees the parade of billions, walking into the presence of God.
They called him the father of nations, this man who trusted God, who believed that despite being older than everyone here, he would not be mocked with those words, but God himself would make them possible. On that day, the evidence will be clear, people of every nation, of every family, people of every language, a million or more times our number, and incredibly even more diverse. Hear God’s promise to Abraham,
“5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Ge 15:5-6 (ESV)
On that day, we shall be in that crowd, a crowds scripture promises no one has the power to count. A massive group of people, all focused on the throne, all looking toward the lamb, all adorned with garments of white….
All the saints of God, reformed into one family, in one place, all together…all the descendants of Abraham, not descendants of blood, but as Romans says, people who have inherited the same faith, the same trust that in God that transcends man’s reasoning and logic. The kind of faith that will believe God when He tells you that at 100 years old, you will become not just the father of one son, but of nations. The kind of faith that grasps that God can deliver His people through the death of His Son, and gather them from every time and place into His presence. His people. Including all here who trust in Him!
It has been described, this point in time, by the apostle Paul in his first Letter to the Corinthian believers,
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared
for those who love him.” 1Co 2:9 (GW)
The people….Us…reformed….
From everywhere
Adorned in white…are we the ones described?
Serving – worship - crazily crying Crying – God delivers!!!
That leads us to the people of God, the ones re-formed around the throne. Literally from everywhere, Every ethnicity, every family group, the people of God from every language, and every time. Picture Pr. Hsu standing next to John Chrysotom, or Pr. Lu standing next to Augustine, our elders and other leaders gathered around the apostles James and John, our praise teams and choirs joining in with the likes of Handel, and Charles Wesley, and Fannie Crosby and Chris Tomlin. As we realize that all of those who departed in the faith before us are there, along with the generations that will look back at us…
All are not just dressed, but adorned in glowing white robes, robes the scriptures talk as being washed in the blood of Christ. Robes which speak of being clothed as righteous. The salvation, the deliverance, this re-formation, the rescue of God pictured so complete, that nothing mars the beauty in which God has re-formed, recreated us.
Every once in a while, for fun, I make us do some math. Figure that you sin, that you fall short of God’s desire for your life 10 times a day. You either let something else be your God, or you gossip, or are envious. In thought word and or deed, somehow you don’t do what is right, or you do what is wrong. For me, it is somewhere in the area of 163, 342 sins. For my translator here, perhaps half that. Let’s say we have 300 people here today on campus, and I am an average age. That means 49,000,000 sins forgiven, because Jesus died for each of them! 49 million – just here! But Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t just for the Concordia and Passion congregations, but for the world, for people throughout time. For more people than anyone has power to count!
No wonder we are described as crying out with a loud voice, accompanied by a few billion other people, saved by the blood of Christ. No wonder we proclaim that our salvation is God’s. That He deserves all blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might!
It describes this great population of which God knows we are a part, as spending day and night in His presence. I love the word service there….. it is not the common word we have for service, diakonos – from which we get deacon. Instead it is a special word, the word for which we get Liturgy, the order of worship and praise of God. That is how we shall serve, alongside so many others!
For He, and He alone deserves it!
But “we” aren’t the site to see…nor what is heard….
He is.. the enthroned one, the Lamb…
A few minutes ago, I mentioned that no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor can our hearts imagine what God has in store for us, those who love Him. Who love Him because He came and died out of love for us.
As amazing as the crowd in heaven is, a small portrait of which we see each week in worship, As amazing as the white robes are, as amazing as Abraham’s face will be, when he sees that those who inherited his relationship with God outnumber the stars and the sands of the sea, what our eyes will be focused on, what our ears will hear, what our hearts will rejoice in, is not on those things….
We shall behold Him, on the throne, the one True, and Triune God, in all His Glory!
Artists can’t paint or draw or sculpt the glory of God we shall see. Handle’s Messiah, with it’s incredible hallelujah chorus will sound like a Sunday school tune compared to hearing His voice, and the joy, oh the joy! There is nothing we could desire or imagine that could be compared to seeing God in all His splendor, in all His majesty, in all His wisdom, as He gathers us into His presence.
No wonder we shall cry His praises with all that is within us!
His very being inspires it!
The attention of all in heaven, is on the throne, and on the Lamb. As we see Him, in all His glory, and praise Him, with all that is within us. As we realize that He shelters us with His presence, that we dwell in His radiance, that the people of God, have finally been gathered home. All else removed, we shall live in His glory and know His peace.
Until then, our lives are but the choir warming up, preparing to sing of His holiness, as we praise Him face to face!
And until then, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard our hearts and minds, securely purchased and guarded by the Lamb, Christ Jesus. AMEN!!!!!!l
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
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Category: Romance and Relationships
Concordia
Lutheran Church....
Pentecost 20,
October 18, 2009....
.. ..
.. ..
“Do Your Job Well”....
2 Timothy 4:1-18....
.. ..
† In the Name of Jesus †....
.. ..
You are the
beloved Children of God, and I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ’s
kindness and mercy will free you to enjoy complete peace!....
.. ..
Is
it Law – or Gospel?....
Do
your Job Well!....
.. ..
Last
week, as Deacon Mark stood in this spot, he made an observation that I hope you
all caught. That when Jesus invited the
rich young ruler to come and share Jesus’ life, and sell all that he had, that
the command wasn’t Law, but gospel.....
.. ..
Jesus
wasn’t trying to test obedience as much as He was trying to free the man from
the things that stopped him from relating to God. It wasn’t about pass/fail
tests, but look, see the burden you have placed on yourself. Jesus says, let me carry your heavy burden,
and take mine yoke, for the burden is light.....
.. ..
I believe that same
odd turn is seen here, in the Paul’s letter to his protégé Timothy. When in
verse 5, the older apostle writes, “But you must stay calm and be willing
to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well.” 2Ti 4:5
(CEV) he is not burdening the
young man, but instead showing him the blessing of the gospel. ....
The
problem is, that when we hear “do your job well!!”, or “go sell all you have
and come follow me” we hear law. Here is
the challenge – for if you or I hear this as law, and bind ourselves to it, we
will only be condemning ourselves in a week. We cannot, by our own reason and
strength, stay calm, suffer, work hard as evangelists and do the job well. Neither could have Paul, even with the
blessing of being an apostle. ....
Yet, if
we realize the law would condemn us, we must look to see if it is gospel, we must
see it as grace, and when we do….....
But
first – let’s see if this “command” is one of Law….....
.. ..
If
it’s Law…....
Then God wants you to suffer and be
“patient”....
Then God wants you to have to “work”....
Then God wants you betrayed,
dismayed by those who reject God, those who abandon you”....
Focused on your own work.....
And you will stand condemned....
.. ..
A
quick review, in scripture, when we talk about Law – we are talking about the
commands that if you do not obey, you find yourself in trouble. It’s what we call sin. If you don’t obey the
6th commandment, and fool around on your present or perhaps future
husband or wife, and you have sinned.
Spread stories about people, whether true or false, which is what Gossip
is, and you have witnessed falsely about them. Misuse God’s name, or don’t take
time to rest and you have sinned.....
.. ..
The
nature of the Law is simple – God knows what is best for you, and the Ten
Commands and the other laws are set up to describe life as it should be, as God
guides us. IF no one cheated on those
God meant for them to share life with, if no one lusted and schemed after what
belongs to others, if no one murdered others, either in thought or word, or
deed, what kind of life would this be?....
.. ..
If
Timothy is obedient to the direction Paul would set for his life, would all be
well? Paul isn’t just talking about bad
suffering in verse 5 – it is a compound word that is the word for bad,
horrible, and the word for suffering.
Earlier Paul had told Timothy to be ultimately patient – the word is one
that primarily describes God in the Old Testament, and His patience with
Israel. In other words, hold off on
God’s wrath or even our own, even as Paul will hope for those who abandoned and
deserted him. ....
.. ..
Indeed,
Paul will describe the life he lives, almost to hold out an example to Timothy
what awaits him. He will have the people
like Demas, who will walked away. Others
will leave to pursue ministry somewhere else, forgetting that Timothy exists.
Others will be like Alexander, who purposefully challenged Paul’s words, and
will cause pain as they oppose what the work of sharing Christ. ....
.. ..
To
say that these commands are the Law –the submit yourself to this or you aren’t
mine, is to claim that God would desire we suffer, that God would desire us to
hurt, that God only cares about the results.
We then begin to focus on the numbers, and making ourselves feel like we
have accomplished something. We look for
the inspiring stories in our lives, than the faithfulness of God to sustain us
in the midst of the hard times.....
.. ..
Oswald
Chambers on Serving....
.. ..
Oswald
Chambers described this when he wrote:....
.. ..
The proof that we are rightly related
to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.....
One of the great snares of the
Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments. When the spirit of
God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say—‘Now I will always be
like this for God.’ No, you will not, God will take care you are not. Those
times are the gift of God entirely. You cannot give them to yourself when you
choose. If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable
drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously
inspired. If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will
fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies
nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.[1] ....
.. ..
IF
it’s gospel....
We will have been found faithful....
We will be first-fruits of others
who God provides....
You will realize God is standing
beside you, endunamis’ing you…....
And you will be safe from evil, and
to His kingdom....
.. ..
In
these words to Timothy, if it is law, it will condemn us. So, could it be really gospel? Could this
phrase “do your job well” be a way to realize the extent of God’s grace to
us? Could suffering, and being required
to be patient be a door to seeing the intimate love and peace of God?....
.. ..
Paul
will, even as he encourages Timothy to do his work, realize this. Paul indicates his time is over, his race
complete. He even dare says that he has
fought well, that he will receive a crown because he pleased God. Pretty incredible words for a man who would
also declare himself a wretch for being unable to stop sinning.....
.. ..
But
if Paul, the chief of all sinners can be found faithful, can we? Can we find ourselves doing the things we
know should be done? Telling people
about Jesus, forgiving those who are unforgivable, being patient with those who
try our patience, that we too could say that we hope their sins won’t be held
against them?....
Yes. More than yes, for we are more than conquerors, as we live in the reality
that we are joined to Christ in our baptism.
That we are made one with Him!....
.. ..
Look
at verse 17 again,....
.. ..
17
But the Lord stood beside me. He gave
me the strength to tell his full message, so that all Gentiles would hear it....
....
Not
only that, but God would keep him from all evil, and deliver Him to God’s
incredible heavenly Kingdom. But the
strength is important to notice. You
need to be patient- lean on Jesus – He is there, right there with you. In you lives the Holy Spirit, guiding
you. You are not alone. God has already,
because of Christ’s death and resurrection, determined that you are righteous,
because Christ was righteous.....
.. ..
Jim’s
message –it’s not about Dad being good, it’s about Jesus being God......
.. ..
On
Friday, I got to witness this. It was at
the funeral of a friend’s dad. As the
service started, the minister talked about all the good that Jim’s dad did, and
how he deserved. The sermon would have
left most of us ready to proclaim Jim’s dad a saint, someone who spiritually
left us in the dust. And in light of
that, many there felt that we fell short, and deserved God’s wrath. It wasn’t
the pastor’s intent, but in view of the praise, people were more discouraged
than uplifted.....
.. ..
Jim
got up, following his uncle and aunt, to do the liturgy. And he preached about the fact his dad wasn’t
perfect, that he would have been embarrassed to have all this attention on him,
rather than on Jesus. Jim spoke about
the fact that the day wasn’t about Jim’s dad’s faithfulness, but Christ’s
faithfulness to his dad, and to us. Jim
spoke with power, about a God who could save and heal and in the midst of Jim’s
own suffering, he did his job well. That
is what Paul was encouraging Timothy to do.....
.. ..
Jim
did his job well. He pointed to Jesus,
his dad’s hope, Jim’s hope. Our hope. He
shared the message of Christ’s redeeming love. ....
.. ..
Things
tough in life right now? Point others to
Christ. Hate being patient with others?
Point them to a Lord that is long suffering, not wanting any to perish,
but all to come to Him. Feel abandoned,
or betrayed, realize that the Lord is right there with you! Everything
working? Point people to Christ now as
well. ....
.. ..
For
as you do, you will again realize how much God loves YOU, and those you
know. You will realize the incredible
blessing that comes from being God’s.....
.. ..
You
will show, more than that you will see, that His gift, the Father’s incredible,
grace-filled, merciful gift of peace, which no one can know on their own, is
truly yours. And that the peace is
guaranteed to be yours, for Christ is guarding you heart and soul. ....
.. ..
As
the Lord stands by you…and empowers you to do His work…....
.. ..
Amen?
....
.. ..
[1]Chambers,
Oswald: My Utmost for His Highest : Selections for the Year. Grand
Rapids, MI : Discovery House Publishers, 1993, c1935, S. April 25
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Category: Religion and Philosophy
Come, Follow Me this sermon was written and proclaimed by Deacon Mark Jennings, one of my two deacons. His delivery was done well, and the content speaks for itself. May this sermon bless you - as it did our people, as it shows Christ's love for you.
Grace, mercy and peace to you from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Alleluia, Amen! There was a man who loved fishing. Some would even say that he was obsessed with it. It was his favorite sport or hobby. He had loved fishing since his grandfather had taken him fishing at the tender early age of three years old. This man had all of the most current equipment-rods, reels, tackle boxes, nets, waders and of course a big bass boat. The man had enough lures to decorate a 20 foot Christmas tree. He spent his waking hours surfing the net looking for information about whatever species of fish that he wanted to catch. He subscribed to all the fishing magazines and had a complete library of fishing books. He hung out at Bass Pro Shops so much people thought he was an employee. But even with all of his knowledge of fishing and the wealth that he had spent on equipment, he had a major problem. He could never catch fish. Why is that you ask! This man who knew everything about fishing and had every piece of equipment known to the world of fishing? The answer really is quite simple. He never went fishing. He never put a line in the water. Isn’t that like the rich man in our gospel lesson today? This man was extremely wealthy. Most of the commentaries say that he had lots of land. The man approaches Jesus and asks, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Right off the bat, the man is concerned about what He can do. Jesus firstly responds with why do you call me good? No one is good –except God alone. Jesus then says to him “ you know the commandments” and the response from the rich man is that he declares that has kept the commandments since he was a boy. A declaration! A formal statement! Despite Jesus saying that none is good but God, this young rich man insists that he is! I bet that he was probably feeling somewhat smug that in his heart he had kept the commandments and I bet he was even proud of that fact. It was an issue of pride. Look what I have done. I have done everything I am required to do according to the laws of God and Moses. This guy thinks he is home free and probably expects Jesus to say,” Well done good and faithful servant!” Scripture says instead of that, Jesus looked at him and loved him and then said,” Go and sell everything and give to the poor and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me”. BOOM!! The rich man’s whole world through his eyes just came crashing down. The rug was pulled out from under him. Go and do what? He thinks he has kept the Law and now this rabbi is telling him he has to get rid of everything? He was doing what he had to do and what God told him to do, but he missed the point. He was trying to make his own salvation. He was trying to effect a change by working his way through the commandments. He never mentions a relationship with God. He wanted Jesus to say,” Oh you have done everything YOU can do, welcome to eternal life”. He wasn’t really looking for answers. He was looking for approval based on what he had done and although Jesus did not approve, He loved him anyway. .. ..We read in verse 21 that Jesus looked at him and loved him. That is such a powerful verse. Jesus could have called him on the fact that he said he kept the commandments since he was a boy. Jesus could have sugar coated his response but out of love, he gave him some tough love and he spoke the truth to the man. Jesus speaks to this rich man and tells him to get rid of everything and follow Him. Our Lord knows that stuff gets in the way of following him. He knows that it is a stumbling block to our faith. We can certainly identify with the rich man in the sense that we keep the commandments and do what God says to do. We are also good people (in our minds) who have kept the commandments since our youth and we are doing our best. After all, I have not committed adultery like a famous t.v. personality confessed to this week on television and I have not killed anybody. I have not deceived people of their pension funds and stolen millions of dollars. We have not lied before congressional hearings. The problem here is that like the rich man we become so involved with what we are doing that we lose sight of what God has done and keeps on doing. The man was overlooking his relationship with God. He is so busy trying to be holy that he doesn’t mention any relationship with God, just the fact that he has kept the commandments since he was a boy. We are so busy trying to keep the Law and figuring out what we can do it starts to become about us. Luther fell into the same trap. We cannot see the forest for the trees. We lose sight of the prize. I am going to go back to fishing here for a minute. When you go fishing and you hook a fish, you must be able to land that fish. For me it is total concentration. I am worrying about the line breaking or if the fish will dive into weeds or if the fish will roll in the line. Big fish love to do that. I worry about how I hold my rod or if the drag is set too tight or not enough. I worry about how I will get it into the net. Basically at that moment of fighting the fish, everything ceases to exist except the relationship between the fish and I. a nuclear bomb could go off and I probably would not notice it. That is the kind of focus and total concentration that Jesus is talking about. He says get rid of anything that gets in the way of following him. Since I was a young boy these verses have perplexed me. Why? Because I have a lot of stuff. Am I supposed to not have anything of earthly value? Am I supposed to live under a bridge somewhere and boil leather shoes for dinner? Perhaps if stuff gets in the way of following God? These verses have always been taught as this absolute Law statement. Yet , it is not Law really but actually pure gospel. It is an invitation to share Jesus’ life. It is an invitation to walk through life with him. Jesus looks at us and loves us and wants to walk with us. He wants to be involved in everything that we do. Nothing is too small for Jesus. Jesus is excited to be in our lives all the time but because loves us, Jesus has to share some tough love with us. The reason for that is because he wants us to be walking with him now and forever. He wants us to store up treasures in heaven. Earthly treasures rot away and rust but heavenly treasure lasts forever. You can’t take it with you. Have you ever seen a hearse with a luggage rack? The only thing that you can take is your relationship with God. Please forgive me but I am going to use one last fishing example. We talked about how the man had everything and was focused on aquireing all he needed to fish but never went fishing. He missed out. We talked about the focus and concentration it takes to land a fish. Think about this, what if we are the fish and Jesus is the fisherman? He looks at us with total concentration and determination. His focus is always on us. He is the master angler who will never give up. He catches us, cleans us and then he tags us. He marks us as His own. The difference is He never releases us back into the wild on our own to swim. You see once He catches you, He never lets go. Jesus wants us to focus on him. We already have everything in our favor. After all, hasn’t God chosen us to be His? Isn’t the Holy Spirit with us all the time sanctifying us? He looks at us and like the rich man in our lesson He loves us. In fact, He loves us so much that he hangs on a cross. He takes your sin and my sin and puts it on himself. He takes our punishment so that we are made righteous before our Father in heaven. Our Lord not only shares the invitation of following Him, he shares the invitation of Holy Communion with us here this morning. Through the invite of attending this banquet that is set before us, we commune with all of heaven and all believers. Through this eating and drinking we are given forgiveness, salvation and eternal life are poured out upon us. He comes to us, and becomes part of our life. And now may the master angler catch and keep you from now until eternity, alleluia, amen
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Category: Religion and Philosophy
this sermon was written and delivered by Deacon Don Harrell, back in September. As I was about to post Deacon Jennings sermon (who preached this morning) I realized I never posted Don's. It is a good thing for a pastor to be able to see two men develop in their ability in proclaiming Christ crucified, and know that they will deliver that message, when so delegated.
Easy Button....
.. ..
The young lady reaches over and
removes the hat from the young man’s head (revealing his full head of hair) and
places it on hers. They continue their conversation despite the distractions
going on around them at the carnival booth they’re working and the 9 shots of
Novocain the young man received earlier that morning. She laughs at his jokes (which these days elicit
groans), smiles at him as he chats up
those coming to the booth. His heart rate is around 180 and he doesn’t quite
know how to react to her attention. After awhile, she says it’s time for her to
go and starts to walk off. She’s thinking to herself “I’ve got his hat! He HAS
to call me to get it back!” He realizes “She has my brother’s hat! I need to
get that back or I’ll never hear the end of it from him!” He runs over to her and she thinks to herself
“He’s going to ask me out! …”I need my hat” he says. You can picture the
disappointment on her face can’t you? It’s now obvious to just about everyone
here what’s going on. But at the time, the young man had NO idea. The young
lady eventually got her man, but that full head of hair has been gone for about
a decade now. ....
.. ..
The Jews were also looking for their
man. The Son of Man (uppercase S and upper case M). The one they pictured from
Daniel 7: 13 “…and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came on like a son of man
(lower case s and lower case m), and he came to the Ancient of Days and was
presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall
not be destroyed.” To the Jews, the Son of Man was the undefeatable
world conqueror sent by God to put at their feet the “super powers” of those
days, the Romans, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians and have them look
up to Israel. They were so caught up in the image of the kingdoms of earth
being subjected to them and a conquering king, in no way did they connect the
Son of Man and a cross, even though many of Old Testament prophets gave them
these signs. Micah told the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Zechariah of
His entering Jerusalem on a donkey and His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver.
Isaiah foretold the miraculous birth and that He would preach the Good News to
the poor and brokenhearted and David that the Messiah’s hands and feet would be
pierced and the soldiers would cast lots for his things. An invincible leader of
the armies of heaven? Yes. Some one who would die an accursed death for all?
No. Even though many Old Testament prophecies are clear the Messiah would be a
Savior for their sins.....
Are we any different today? Do we not
look for signs, that “easy button”? Lord if you will just send me a
husband/wife, give me that perfect job, find me that house and heal my family
member. God fill the seats in the church and in our school and then I will know
you are here with me. Whether married or
single, employed or not, whether the school ministry of Concordia stays open or
not, isn’t God still with us? Does any of that change Christ’s work on the
cross? We open our business sections to look at our stocks, turn on the T.V. or
radio to listen to what’s happening in world. We turn everywhere except where
God wants us to…the cross, the cross where the power and wisdom of God is
revealed. But also where we are smacked right between the eyes with the fact
that we can not save ourselves, we…can not…save…ourselves. ....
.. ..
.. ..
.. ..
This concept of the cross was
offensive to the Jews and it was beyond thought for the Greeks. The concept of God
becoming a man and relating to man on his level was inconceivable. The thought
of undeserved forgiveness freely given with open arms was ridiculous. Then to
be put to death, willingly, as the worst criminal, on an instrument so crude
and degrading and then being called Lord and Savior?! Absurdity! It
contradicted all human logic and wisdom, all philosophy on being in control of
one’s destiny. It was a show of complete weakness! No, the Greeks were wisdom
seekers. They had to prove that they were wise enough, that they had all the
answers. So the Greeks went about chasing philosophy after philosophy, going
from religion to religion and from teacher to teacher. Just like the Greeks, we
today want to find and have all the answers to gain the approval of God. If
only I could memorize the Small and Large Catechism, the Book of Concord and
the Athanasian Creed, I would be acceptable in the eyes of God. We are
constantly and consistently searching for ways to keep control of our lives.
“How-To” books fill our shelves. We look to Palm and Tarot card readers, and
astrology. We want that “easy button”. ....
.. ..
It was pointed out that in last
week’s children sermon I couldn’t focus on the crucifix around my neck but only
on this empty cross. Why? I was asked. “Because His work is done.” I replied.
“Is it really?” came the response. “Do you no longer sin?” Do you no longer have the need for the saving
grace of God found in the work of the cross? Yes and yes. But I also know this.
All the answers are here at the foot of the cross, where we are reminded that His
broken body and His shed blood have won life and salvation, where we have been
freed from the guilt, punishment and power of sin through the suffering and
death of Christ. This is that easy button, “given and shed for you.” ....
Now may the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times in every way. ....
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Sunday, September 20, 2009
 |
I will continue to post here for a while, but the blog will permanently reside at
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Sunday, August 30, 2009
 |
Current mood:  awake
Category: Religion and Philosophy
Concordia Lutheran Church....
Pentecost 13, August 30, 2009....
.. ..
Make them
Known….....
Deut 4:1-2, 6-9....
.. ..
† In the Name
of Jesus, the Messiah †....
.. ..
May the grace, the mercy and the peace of God our
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ fill your life, your children’s lives, their
children’s lives….....
.. ..
It
wasn’t quite a miracle, but it indeed it was a remarkable occurrence. Men, from age forty-four to fifti-ish,
gathered on a softball field in Buena Park yesterday, coming from all over
Southern California. They played three complete slow-pitch softball games, plus
ate a healthy meal of carne asada, before the third game. What makes it a miracle was that, at least
through the second inning of their third game, no ambulances were needed.....
.. ..
OK
pastor – what does that have to do with today’s readings, and with our
dedicating our teachers to what our Old Testament passage describes as ....
....
Only take care, and keep your
soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest
they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your
children and your children’s children…....
.. ..
While
I didn’t play, I did show up for the lunch, and got to watch a classmate blast
a home-run. Rick is one of the small
group pastors at the largest church in southern California. Doug, who was the catcher, is the senior
pastor of a church in Duarte, and there were other pastors there as well. Another guy, Gordon from Riverside, was a
guest here a few months back. What the
men had in common – we all came from the same high school youth group. Some were in high school in the late
seventies, and were later volunteers when Rick and I were there in the
eighties.....
As we ate lunch, we laughed over some of our past – and the fact that if our
youth and youth workers pull some of the stunts we attempted…well, better to
not go there. But we also talked about
what had worked, and how some of our training in the scriptures and in ministry
in high school and after was some of the best training we have ever had. ....
.. ..
Why
it worked? Even with all our idiosyncricies, those who worked with us, did
exactly that…. The made it known to us…....
.. ..
As
I look at my past, and realize how Jon and Scotty, Doug and Gordon, the Spriggs
brothers and so many others made it known to me, I urge you Tammie, and all the
teachers, and everyone here…. Make them known to your children and your
children’s children…....
.. ..
Make what
known…....
The things written in stone....
The things you have seen?....
....
The
question is what do we make known ? If
you read some commentators, they focus in the words statutes, the things of
God, written in stone, and the rules, or actually, the rulings and judgments. They talk about the fact that the Lord has
the Law – the very description of the way in which we are to behave. And people, when they hear the law – hear the “Thou
shall not’s”. If that is all there is to
the law, then it will forever condemn us, for no one is able to keep it –
completely.....
.. ..
But
the law is more than just doing or not doing certain behaviors or doing certain
others. What is written in stone is not
just the behaviors – hear the beginning, Exodus 20:1 I am YHWH, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, the place of your
slavery. It all starts with God, and
the relationship He chose to have, with the people He would save, and call His.
....
.. ..
It
is of vital importance to realize that this is one of those places, where LORD
is spelled all in capitals, and is written because the Hebrew isn’t the word
for Lord, but is the very sacred name of God. The Israelites would not write the name of
God, nor pronounce, but simply know – L-O-R-D – there it is! It is the same there in verse 2 and verse 4,
where you see the word LORD. ....
.. ..
In
context, it is not just the statutes and rules that are to be made known – look
at verse 9, it is the things that the
Israelites had seen – the very hand of God at work, delivering them from their captivity,
and providing for them. ....
.. ..
What needs to be made known – the very care of
God in establishing us as His people, delivering us from sin. The work He has done, not just in rescuing 2
million people from Egypt; but also His work, rescuing us, from our being
caught up by sin and the power of satan, and the fear of death.....
.. ..
Not
just what He delivered us from – but what He delivered us to.. a relationship
with Him, and all His people.....
.. ..
Why
Make them Known?....
You may forget them ....
The people need to hear them....
Because they prove God’s presence?....
.. ..
In
verse 9, the advice to take care, to keep/guard your soul diligently, and to
make these things known is based on some critical why’s – why’s also noted in
the epistle reading from Ephesians 6. ....
.. ..
It’s
simple really, lose focus of what God has done in your life, and it will be
harder to see what He is doing right now, and even harder to trust in what He
will do. If you forget that which God
has promised, to be our God, our YHWH – the IAM, then you become easy prey for
the devil, and the spiritual warfare that occurs. Look at those weapons – each is what gives us
faith! Without such a focus on God, and
knowing His promises and faithfulness, doubts will sneak in. Guilt and shame, for sins long since paid
for, will arise, and cause our hope diminish.
Don’t be distracted from the promises of God counting, His ruling that
were are righteous because of the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, covers
all our sin.....
.. ..
As
we begin to understand that God’s statutes are not just His laws but the
relationship they define, that His rules including the ruling that His people
are cleansed by Him, in the waters of Baptism, through the power of the word,
we begin to understand the reaction of the world, which is prophesied in verse
6. They don’t marvel just at the
guidelines of behavior, other peoples have such. But hear again why they
marvel,....
.. ..
7For what great nation is there
that has a god so near to it as the Lord
our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? ....
.. ..
It
isn’t just the codes of behavior – it is the fact that we have a God, not made
of wood or stone, not bought with cash, or credit; whose presence isn’t tied to
our intrinsic value and past performance.
Instead we have a God who will rescue us from our own captivity, from
our own brokenness, from moral bankruptcy or condescending
self-righteousness. Who then having
redeemed us, and restored us, calls us His people, and gives us the opportunity
to call upon Him, using His personal name, knowing He is near.....
.. ..
That
is what the peoples of the world marvel at, when they really begin to see God
at work in us. It is what Paul tells the people of God, gathered in Colossae, ....
.. ..
God wanted everyone,
not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless
of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a
nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing
in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. 28 We preach Christ,
warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound
common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to
be basic. Christ! No more, no less. 29 That's
what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with
the energy God so generously gives me.
Col 1:27 (MSG)....
May
we, by God’s grace work hard at this as well, to make this known – that God has
been, and is at work in our lives, in the lives of our children, and will be in
our children’s children. ....
.. ..
Working
in us through His grace and mercy, bringing us into the incomparable peace of
God our father, peace which guards us, hearts and minds, as we are in Christ
Jesus.....
AMEN?....
.. ..
.. ..
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Monday, August 17, 2009
 |
Category: Religion and Philosophy
Concordia
Lutheran Church....
11th Week of
Pentecost- August 15, 2009....
.. ..
.. ..
“Do You Want to…”....
John
6:51-69 and Joshua 24:14-18....
.. ..
†
IHS †....
.. ..
{My dear
friends}, grace and peace has been poured into our lives by God our Father and
our Master, Jesus Christ. ....
(Eph 1:3 Message mod.)....
.. ..
A
Question, and a similar call....
.. ..
In
the gospel reading today, a question is asked, one similar to the decision
Joshua asks the people of God to make in the reading from the Old
Testament. Both are nice to read,
because there, it is not us being asked.
It is not us squirming between two options, the one we know we need to make, and the one that is more convenient to
make.....
.. ..
But
what if they were asked of us today, and a decision was called for, could we
honestly face ourselves? ....
.. ..
What
would happen if I like Joshua, were to demand that you choose to serve, gods of
the past, or gods of our present world, or admit and serve the God that we know
is good? Are you ready to stop choosing
to sin, stop chasing after the false gods of this age, and to get serious about
your faith?....
.. ..
Or
what if you were asked by God, Do you
want to go away as well? Or are you ready to embrace the great mysteries of
our faith, and be shepherded by God into places that could lead to death, or
worse, to being mocked for believing that which is scandalous, and perhaps from
the world’s view, silly? I mean, do we
really comprehend the depth of what it means for God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, to be not just the source for life, but the source and meaning of that
life?....
.. ..
Do
we really want to take 10 minutes, and look into what it means, to be in a
covenant relationship with God? Are we
willing to be honest, to look at our lives, and consider the depth of our
commitment to God? To look, not just at
Sunday between nine and noon, but to look at Monday morning at eleven, sitting
in the doctor’s office? Are we ready to
look at 2 a.m., when our sleep Is broken by the worry’s of life? What about Friday night between 7 and
midnight for those under 40, or you know 9:30 for the rest of us?....
.. ..
Do
our lives testify to a desire that answers those questions as the apostles and
Israel did? If not, are we willing to
renew the relationship, as God would demand, and yes, welcome?....
.. ..
The Parties....
Whose asking?....
.. ..
I
wonder if who asks us to make the decision to choose, or who asks us if we are
going to leave makes the difference. I
mean, were I to ask you, I imagine most of you would, like I would should
another pastor ask me, respond with an enthusiastic yes! Of course I would recognize God is good, and
that all other gods are worthless! And
would I ever leave God behind, and go after something less demanding, less
challenging, easier to understand? Like
the apostle Peter, I would hastily reply – No, I would never ever, ever, ever
leave you Lord!....
.. ..
But
what if we were face to face with God, and it was Him asking us to commit to a
relationship with Him, a relationship that had some level of accountability,
some demand for interaction, some demand for transparent intimacy, basically,
that we would be faithful to Him, and grow in our love and service?....
.. ..
Would
you answer the almighty, all knowing, all powerful God with such fervor, with
such assurance? Would you tell Him, that
you are ready to trust Him, to the point that whatever He desired to do with
you, wherever He led you in the world, you were ready to follow, without any
doubt?....
.. ..
If
you answered in positively, how do you deal with the times where, you didn’t
uphold your part of the deal?....
.. ..
The Need for
Renewal....
There was sin....
There will be temptation....
Renewal?....
.. ..
If
you are like me, the times I have tried to respond to God, by my own strength
or wisdom, are numerous. The times were
my emotions drove me to my knees, to enthusiastically commit my way to God, or
to confess him in front of others. So many times I thought that my faithfulness
would move mountains, if God would only let me have the power, and then get out
of my way! The only problem is, that
most of the time, okay, all the time, my
good intentions were not support by my actions, and left me open to failure,
sometimes spectacularly so.....
.. ..
Just
like the Israelites in Joshua’s day, and like Peter in the Gospel, I had two
problems. The sins of the past, and the
temptations of the future. Remember, by
the time the book of Joshua started, the people of God had wandered about in
the desert for forty years, because they struggled with being faithful to the
pledge they made at Mount Sinai, when they were marked as God’s people, with
the blood of the sacrifice that would cover their sin. After Joshua leads them into God’s Holy Land,
the place He set apart for them to celebrate in His presence as He provided for
them, they would be tempted time and time again. So often, they would choose to
do what was right in their eyes, or in the eyes of their neighbors who chased
false Gods. ....
.. ..
Peter
was no different. A loud and often wrong
man, his intention to serve God was not well-tempered. I mean, Peter had the nerve to tell Jesus
that Jesus didn’t need to die for us! He
fell for the temptation to fight to defend Jesus in the garden, slicing off a
guys ear, ( I think he was actually trying to behead him…)....
.. ..
I
sometimes wonder why God puts up with our failures, especially for those of us
who swear we love Him? There are days, I
will admit, that I sometimes wish He wouldn’t.
Why not just be done with us, for the failures can sometimes crush us,
or we harden ourselves to them, tired of having to ask for forgiveness again
and again. ....
.. ..
In
theology-speak, we need to renew the covenant.
We need to do what Joshua calls on Israel to do, and what the apostles
realize they need – to understand and see the covenant a-new – to hear again
the incredible promises of God, for those He has called, or to use John’s
words, granted the right to come into His presence, to be quickened, given
life, by the Holy Spirit. ....
.. ..
The Promise....
10 phrases about life....
Generated, ....
Not just Bios, but Zoe....
So come…....
.. ..
We
need to realize that God hasn’t removed us from His people – the promise that
He gave us in our baptism hasn’t disappeared because of our stumbling around in
sin, and sometimes unfaithful. AM I
excusing our behavior? No, absolutely
not. ....
.. ..
I
am pointing you to this altar – where God’s faithfulness is demonstrated as He
is your host, and the very nourishment you need, to see the covenant as if it
was brand new. Your sins forgiven, as
Thomas a Kempis noted, He calls us to this feast, broken sinners who will be
made whole, people who struggle with what is right, and need God’s love and
care, and receive it.....
.. ..
Ten
times in the gospel, it notes that our life is found in Christ. We are promised to live forever, should we be
nourished by God. We are told His flesh
is the bread that is the life of the world.
Without being sustained by His body and Blood, there is no life in us,
and we are not promised to be raised on the last day. ....
.. ..
In
the Bible, there are two words for life
- the first is bios, where we get biology from. The almost physical, mechanical fact that we
are alive. Blood flows throughout the body. Zoe is far different – it is
cognitive, conscious, life of existing, the kind of life that has meaning and
definition. That is the life that is
given, that is generated, begotten in us by the very work of God in our
baptism. The kind of life that enters
into a relationship, and is capable of finding incredible joy, and incredible
pain, in the midst of those relationships – especially the relationship we were
together created to have – with God.....
.. ..
And
yes, like any relationship, sin can mar it, and cause pain, and even doubt, and
a sense that it is broken. It is because
of this, we need to be re-assured, and find the covenant and its promises
renewed.....
.. ..
This
is the place of covenant renewal – but it is not so much that we re-pledge our
faith, or re-commit, as much as the place where we are renewed, the place where
we are strengthened, reminding and sustained by the very Body and Blood which
was given and shed for us. Renewed that we might again cry out again in praise
and wonder; realizing that God is our God, who has renewed the covenant. That, because of the covenant, He can be our
soul desire; it is His faithfulness that sustains it, and calls us back, and
strengthens us. Peter said it – where else
is there to go, you have the words of life.....
.. ..
I
would end this sermon, by reading the quote of A Kempis again. Hear the words, let them stick to your heart
and mind…....
.. ..
COME
to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.43
The bread which I will give is My Flesh, for the life of the world.44
Take you and eat: this is My Body, which shall be delivered for you. Do this
for the commemoration of Me.45 He that eateth My flesh, and
drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him.46 The words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and life.”....
.. ..
THESE
are all Your words, O Christ, eternal Truth, though they were not all spoken at
one time nor written together in one place. And because they are Yours and
true, I must accept them all with faith and gratitude. They are Yours and You
have spoken them; they are mine also because You have spoken them for my
salvation. Gladly I accept them from Your lips that they may be the more deeply
impressed in my heart.....
Words
of such tenderness, so full of sweetness and love, encourage me; but my sins
frighten me and an unclean conscience thunders at me when approaching such
great mysteries as these. The sweetness of Your words invites me, but the
multitude of my vices oppresses me.....
You
command me to approach You confidently if I wish to have part with You, and to
receive the food of immortality if I desire to obtain life and glory
everlasting.....
“Come
to me,” You say, “all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.”48....
Oh,
how sweet and kind to the ear of the sinner is the word by which You, my Lord
God, invite the poor and needy to receive Your most holy Body! Who am I, Lord,
that I should presume to approach You? Behold, the heaven of heavens cannot
contain You, and yet You say: “Come, all of you, to Me.”....
.. ..
Come,
and know that there is an incredible peace, between you and your God. The peace which passes all understanding, and
guards you, heart and mind, as you are in Christ Jesus!....
AMEN?....
.. ..
.. ..
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Monday, July 27, 2009
 |
Category: Religion and Philosophy
Concordia
Lutheran Church....
Pentecost 8,
July 26, 2009....
.. ..
.. ..
Recognition is only the Beginning....
Mark 6:45-56....
.. ..
† In the Name of Jesus, Son and Savior †....
.. ..
Dear Saints, may Christ so dwell in your hearts
through faith, that being rooted and grounded in love, you have the strength to
comprehend the breadth and length, the height and depth of the love of God our
Father!....
.. ..
Confusion....
.. ..
Perhaps
I expect more of apostles and disciples in scripture, because, well, they are
in scripture. But to be honest – they
confuse me. Something in me wants them
to be perfect in their faith, but so often, they do something that causes me to
wonder about how dense they were, and how weak their faith was. Today’s gospel passage is one of those times.
....
.. ..
Sure,
it was a long day. I mean, they had to
throw together a small meal for 18,000 people, using only 2 fish and 5
tortillas. It’s not like they had the
food network or Gordon Ramsey off stage with their kitchen staff. Well, actually, that’s the point - who they
didn’t and did have with them. They
then, very obediently get into a boat – and start for the other side of the
lake with the winds and surf fighting them all the way.....
.. ..
Listen
to their reaction, as they spot Jesus, along the way….....
.. ..
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they
thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits. Mk 6:49 (MSG)....
.. ..
Compare
that to the reaction of the crowd – who didn’t witness the miracle of the
feeding of thousands, when they recognize Jesus…....
.. ..
As soon as they got out of the boat, word got
around fast. 55 People ran this way and that,
bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. Mk 6:54 (MSG)....
.. ..
Which
group sounds more like they understand they are in the presence of the God whom
we praised a moment ago, with words that only begin to describe Him? Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise? The guys crying in fear in the boat, or the
crowds running about – nearly out of control – but bringing all of those that
need God’s care to Him?....
Which would you rather be? Be careful in
answering… better- be honest in answering....
.. ..
Recognition....
.. ..
Let’s
start with the crowds, listen again to their reaction of finding Christ coming
ashore.....
.. ..
They beached the boat at Gennesaret and
tied up at the landing. 54 As soon as they got
out of the boat, word got around fast. 55 People
ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he
was.
Mk 6:53 (MSG)....
.. ..
It
is interesting that we don’t have to wonder where Jesus will land, we know were
He will be – with us. For when He
gathers us into His presence, whether 2 or 3 or 100, He has promised to be
here. It’s the place where He has put
His name – not on the building, but on us – His people, in our baptism. ....
.. ..
Would
that we were running this way and that – bringing all those we know, who need
the ministry of Jesus in their lives, would that we were as energetic! For we have access to the God who places the
rainbows in the sky, the depth, the breadth, the height and the width of His
love for us, is best seen in the arms stretched out on the cross of Christ. ....
.. ..
The
funny thing is – these people recognized Jesus as God – they knew He had
come. They weren’t the theologians, or
the professor’s of Mosaic Law. Here was
a man that performed miracles, and taught with authority about God, and His
Kingdom. They didn’t know about the
cross yet, or about the resurrection – they simply know that this Jesus is the best
hope that the people they love have, to live a real life. ....
.. ..
I
found it interesting they brought these hurting, sick, friends even into the
marketplace – something prohibited in the culture of that day, less their
illness be contagious or that they be embarrassed by it.....
.. ..
They
brought their friends, trusting in God to provide, and He did, as He always
does. ....
.. ..
Identification....
.. ..
Hours
before, in a stress-filled, boat, the men exhausted from a long day serving
God’s people also would see Christ. Their reaction is a bit… different. Hear it again, ....
.. ..
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they
thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits. Mk 6:49 (MSG)....
I
get so confused by these guys – I mean – shouldn’t they expect that Jesus will
do something miraculous and meet up with them?
Shouldn’t they have enough faith now, to stop the storm and the wind?
Shouldn’t they be more like the Lord that they follow?....
.. ..
Why
are the scared out of their wits, at the sight of Jesus?....
.. ..
If
Jesus suddenly appeared, right here before you, in all His glory, in all His
power, would you react the same way as the apostles did?....
.. ..
I
think I see in us, more of the disciples in the boat, then the people at the
shore. And I think, it is appropriate.....
.. ..
You
see, we don’t just need a God who gives us everything we need, though He
does. We need a God whose presence
startles us, and indeed can terrify us when we see Him do that which is
miraculous – who is willing to walk up to us, and get in the boat, and calm the
storms in our lives, and the storms of our lives. ....
.. ..
We
need a God bigger than us, more powerful than us, who is immortal and wise, who
is blessed and glorious and the Ancient of Days, who is might and victorious,
and all of those great attributes of the Father which we praise…....
.. ..
And
we need Jesus, here, present, with love and care pouring out in our lives
overflowing. And yet, no less glorious,
no less wise, no less powerful, no less righteous, and no less loving. ....
.. ..
Take
Heart!!! ....
.. ..
I
set you up with the comparison, for both reactions to the presence of God are
right, in their time. There are days
when we realize that we need to be out, gathering the people that need to be
here, with us, gathered into His presence – that God can bring them to faith
and healing, as they learn alongside us the breadth and depth, the height and
width of God’s love – seen in His word, consumed as we eat of His body and
drink of His blood in His supper.....
.. ..
I
really like the translation used for Jesus reaction to the panicking,
fear-filled disciples. “Jesus
was quick to comfort them: "Courage! It's me. Don't be afraid." Mk 6:50 (MSG) That
word courage is often translated – “be of good cheer”, or “take heart”. The word is used to describe the sense of
confidence and strength that comes from knowing you can handle what is going on
around you.....
.. ..
For the disciples, and for us, that courage to embrace life and
its challenges comes from knowing we walk in God’s presence, that we are led by
the Holy Spirit, and that He will never forsake us. It is not our own reason or
strength, but that which we find in knowing we are His – washed and redeemed
and that He will finish the work He began is us. ....
.. ..
It is the confidence that brings us into worship – noting that we
belong here, as He has marked us as His in our baptism. It is the confidence that Jesus tells us in
John 16:33 overcomes any tribulation, because HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD. ....
It is the confidence that causes us to be drawn to the throne of grace, here to
receive His true Body and Blood, shed that we may have an everlasting
relationship, and that our sins would never get in the way. It is the courage we draw – not from
ourselves but from His presence.....
.. ..
It is realizing we are in the presence of a great and mighty God,
and that we are here, because He has gathered us and gotten into this boat with
us, and cleansed us that we can be His people. ....
.. ..
And that, to be honest, should leave us amazed, and in awe, and
besides ourselves, for it is God who died for us, who calls us to His side,
saying, “It is I”....
.. ..
And may the depth, and the breadth, the height and the width of
that love, shown in the great faithfulness of Christ Jesus, And may the
blessing Paul prayed for the church families in Ephesus be yours as well – ....
.. ..
16 that
according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with
power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may
have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length
and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses
knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him
who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according
to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. ....
.. ..
Amen?....
....
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Monday, July 20, 2009
 |
Category: Religion and Philosophy
Concordia
Lutheran Church....
Pentecost 7,
July 19th, 2009....
.. ..
.. ..
I AM Your Righteousness!!....
Jeremiah 23:1-6....
.. ..
† In the Name of Christ, our Righteousness! †....
.. ..
Driven Down the Wrong Road ....
Depending
completely on another person….....
.. ..
We were searching for our home, and to be honest,
nothing we found looked quite right. It
was almost like Goldilocks – this house was too big, that one, to small. This one to expensive, that one required way
too much work. The real estate agents,
striving to be friends to the new pastor in town and his wife, all promised us
they knew the right place, for the right amount, and none delivered. We almost wondered if our guides knew what a
home was, or if they were listening.
They seemed to, yet what we were led to…. Just never seemed right.....
.. ..
One day the futility of the search hit its high
point – or perhaps I should say it couldn’t sink any lower. It was the day after a major torrential
downpour in the mountain… mud covered most of the paved roads, and the roads
that weren’t paved…were treacherous at best.....
.. ..
There was this three bedroom, two bath
manufactured home, just a couple of years old – that the agent desperately
wanted to show us – and it was on Dusty Road – which should have been my first
warning! Never did like the word,
whether used as my nickname, or when discussing allergies. The agent drove a four wheel drive Subaru wagon,
which we decided to take - and since it
was going to be a quick stop – none of us bothered to use the restroom where we
met for lunch and we all had large ice teas!
Another warning shot through my mind, as I took the water pill I have
taken every other day for ten years.....
.. ..
As the agent pulled off the highway, onto the
road, ahead was some mud, with fairly deep ruts. As I tried to suggest that we look for an
alternate route, she said – we can make this – the car is light – and gunned
the engine and the car almost made it….when it began to sink into the mud….and
I do mean sink. The mud was about 5
inches below the bottom of the windows, we couldn’t open the windows, and we
all realized quickly that we should have used the restroom!....
.. ..
After about forty five minutes, a man with a very
big pickup drove by. He grabbed some
canvas straps from his truck, shoveled the mud and muck away enough to attach
the straps to bumper, and rescued those unable to help themselves. ....
As I read this passage about Jeremiah, that day
came to mind quickly, for our guide not only didn’t help us find home, but
instead led us into a situation where any hope of getting out of it, would take
a miracle, and the help of another… ....
.. ..
The Israelites up to their mufflers in mud and
more....
Their
Leaders running them down that path....
Sin,
Idolatry, self-idolatry.....
The
Nature of Sin - ....
.. ..
Compared to our Israel, our agent’s – we did buy a
house from her – but not that house,
was spotless, and she was the perfect guide. By the time Jeremiah gets to
chapter 23, the last three Kings over Judah had reigned, and scripture will
decry their reigns with the phrase, “the did what was evil in the sight of the
Lord”. Warning after warning was
ignored, as God sent prophets to the Kings, and to the leaders and priests of
Israel. This section of Jeremiah is the discourse, right before the destruction
of Jerusalem. Here is the description of
the last king’s reign, found in 2Ch 36:11
(ESV) ....
.. ..
Zedekiah
was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in
Jerusalem. 12 He did what was evil in the
sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet,
who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 He
also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He
stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God
of Israel. 14 All the officers of the priests
and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the
abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he
had made holy in Jerusalem. ....
.. ..
Talk about a mess – the very temple where Solomon
prayed before all Israel was desecrated, not by the work of heathens, but by
the people who were supposed to see that Temple as a place where they could go,
and pray, and when they prayed, know their sins were forgiven. The place
that He has set apart for fellowship, the place where He made known that Israel
was the nation He chose to demonstrate His love for world through, it was their
work, led by their kings, and priests.....
.. ..
No wonder Jeremiah describes their work as
shepherds who scatter and destroy the sheep.
Pastures are supposed to be places of rest, where you ate that which was
needed, and where you found peace. All
this destroyed, by kings and priests who did not guide God’s people into His
presence, but away from it.....
.. ..
Righteousness discarded for sin was more
convenient. God’s way tossed aside in
favor of that which was popular and pleasure-filled. Worship of God replaced by self worship and
chasing after self-fulfillment. And what
is worse, is that the leaders who were supposed to point people to God, didn’t. They could be described well, in the words of
Paul, found in Romans 1....
Their
lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder,
quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30
They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.
They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises,
are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know
God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they
do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Ro 1:29 (NLT)
Get the last part, 32 They know God’s
justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do
them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too!....
.. ..
That’s
the kind of leaders that Jeremiah observed, who shepherded people away from the
rest, away from reconciliation that God had promised them. And the people followed, happily ignoring
that which God had given them….....
.. ..
The Challenge....
Getting out of the mud....
.. ..
If you skim the television channels, your see
people stuck in the mud continually. Occasionally,
you may come across a program that talk of people trying to get out of the
muck. We love the movies where somehow,
against all the odds, the leading characters get themselves out of the trouble
they find themselves in, usually by using their brains more than their brawn.....
.. ..
Yet in real life, that doesn’t happen. Sin is all pervasive, it sucks us down into
it, and gets into all the hidden parts of our lives. Like the Subaru we were in, you can’t open
the doors and get out, you are stuck.
Eventually it sucks the life out of a person, leaving them hollow and
empty, and often hopeless. Or they
become numb to their situation, and perhaps even create the illusion that they
can get out anytime they want. Turn up
the radio some more. Let’s take a
moment, and if we read something really touching, the mud will dry up and we
can drive out.....
.. ..
In the meantime – don’t worry about the pressure
on your bladders – that too will take care of itself!....
.. ..
The Rescuer....
Has everything – ....
Not stuck in the mud....
.. ..
As
we are stuck in the mud of our lives, a passerby comes along- with all the
right tools. ....
.. ..
First
– he isn’t in the mud. Sin is not
dominant in His life, in fact, it is as alien to his character as it is norm of
the world. In order to rescue us, this
must be true – he must be a shepherd of righteousness and holiness! Jesus is just that person!....
.. ..
Second
– he has to be willing to come down into the mud. The guy who rescued us that day, got out of
his nice clean white truck, grabbed a shovel, walked into the mud, and dug at
the back of the car, until he found a play to attach the straps . Imagine
leaving heaven behind, with all its purity, with all of its perfection, where
the angels are there worshipping at your feet. Jesus left all that, to come down here and
rescue us. It wasn’t a holiday, or a
vacation, but a rescue mission. He came
down and dwelt among the descendants whose sin was so dominant that they
defiled God’s temple, and people then were not any better. But that’s God’s Son
for you.....
.. ..
Third
– the power has to be there. The guy who
rescued us in the Subaru had a truck with more horsepower than was needed to
break the suction of the mud, and haul us out of the pit we had created. Jeremiah describes Jesus coming in this
manner.....
.. ..
. 5 “Behold, the days are coming,
declares the Lord, when I will
raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal
wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In
his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the
name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord
is our righteousness.....
.. ..
His
righteousness and justice demanded action – either condemn us, or rescue and
cleanse us. For sin must be paid for,
God’s wrath must be taken, and in the death of Christ, all of the wrath was
poured out on Christ. But even death
could not stop Jesus – getting in all
the mud, couldn’t affect it.
He rose from the dead – righteous, holy and righteous. He is the shepherd who will bring us to
fields of rest and of plenty. In
delivering us, and cleansing us in baptism, His work is so complete that when
we stand before the judgment throne, there will not be a fleck of mud, or a bit
of dust – we shall be standing cleansed. Safe, secure, out of the mud and
standing on firm solid ground.....
.. ..
Standing
safe, and delivered, we are able to be used to rescue others. It is not our work, it is not our purity or
cleanliness that saves them, But we can call on God, and tell them of His
rescue, and encourage them to trust in Him, more than they trust in themselves,
or their bladders. ....
.. ..
That
they too, would come to know the peace that comes from being cleansed of all
sin, the peace of being guided through life by the shepherd. That they may know
the incredible peace of God that passes all understanding, and guards our
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
AMEN?.... .. .. .. ..
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Sunday, July 12, 2009
 |
Concordia
Lutheran Church....
Pentecost 6, July 12, 2009....
....
.. ..
Perplexed and yet…glad?....
Mark
6:14-29 (ESV)....
.. ..
† In the Name
of Jesus, Son and Savior †....
.. ..
May
the gift of God’s love, the gift of His peace, and the gift of His mercy cause
you to celebrate with great pleasure at His feast of victory…....
.. ..
.. ..
The Haunting Paradox....
.. ..
The
king sat alone in his study, reading the reports about a young upstart
religious fanatic and his followers. Not
another one, he thought to himself, as he began to read the reports. Preaching the Kingdom of God is at hand? Healing people supposedly? Calling for repentance of sins, as if we were
common gentiles? Thank God they are up
here in Galilee, and not down at the Jordan river, otherwise it sounds just
like John…....
.. ..
Back
in the reports he reads that some are calling him another John, or maybe this
is Elijah, or another of the prophets, the real prophets who spoke not just of
the future, but as if they spoke for God. ....
.. ..
Slowly,
as he reads about this new troublemaker, he begins to wonder... Could this be
John? Could John have been the one
Isaiah talked of, who would rise from the dead?
The thought begins to dominate his mind, he pulls up another report from
the fortresses to the south, but his mind returns to John, and the possibility
that this Jesus, from the same family – could he be… no. ....
.. ..
All
concentration gone, the troubled king goes and looks out the window of his
massive fortress, and wonders about the prophet, not the one in the reports,
but, dare he say it? The prophet who was
as close as any friend, a man whose advice was about what was right, and Godly,
and not expedient or popular…....
.. ..
And
as Herod gazes out that window, he remembers the odd prophet who would push his
patience to the limit, yet whose presence and words of God’s care, somehow
brought a different spirit to these halls of power, a spirit of gladness…....
.. ..
Until
that day….. that horrible day…that horrid feast, the horrid gruesome day of
death......
.. ..
Could
this new prophet be John? Is He like
John? ....
.. ..
A Relationship
with a Prophet....
Treasured – not the usual yes man....
Called to be better…....
But doesn’t he know – that’s
impossible even for a king....
.. ..
Have
you ever had a friendship that went beyond common understanding? I am not sure that friendship can be used to
describe the relationship between Herod and John, and yet, perhaps it was even
more. We know that Herod protected John,
the word for keep is that strange word that means guard AND treasure, and in
this case, Herod kept him so that he could listen to him.....
.. ..
Herod
feared him, perhaps because John was the one who told Herod what Herod knew,
but didn’t want to hear. John’s behavior
was so consistent that there was nothing Herod could find him guilty of – for
it say Herod knew was righteous – without guilt – and holy – set apart by God
for a purpose. Yet for John, his knew
his primary purpose was complete – he had prepared the way for Jesus, who he
told the people was the One God had promised.
The one who would suffer, lamblike – to take away the sins of the world.....
.. ..
The
conversations of John and Herod, are perhaps best lost to us, but one can put
together that which was a primary topic of discussion; Herod’s marriage to his
sister in law. By Roman law, the
marriage was legitimate; Herod’s brother divorced her according to standards
acceptable to even the Jewish leaders.
But hardly anytime went by, before Herod married her, leading some to
believe the divorce was done that Herod could marry her, a matter of
convenience more than anything else.....
.. ..
John’s
words to Herod answered it in a way that left no doubt in Herod’s mind – it
isn’t lawful – actually it isn’t supposed to be that you have your brother’s
wife. God’s standard – Herod – the
spirit of the law at the very core. Even
if by some interpretation the letter of the law was followed, it seems obvious
the spirit of it was not, and sin took the place of righteousness.....
.. ..
It
is rare for us to be confronted by the truth about our actions, and most of us
don’t take to it well. Most of us would
like to be surrounded by those people who like us, and overlook our sins and
errors in life. It takes courage to be
honest, it takes courage to hear that which is honest. To be honest to a king, who is protecting
you, at probably great cost – from his wife, seems a great challenge. And yet, that is what John did, and perhaps
that is the reason Herod knows of John’s righteousness and that he perhaps was
set apart to this very task in his last days of life.....
.. ..
Would
that we too, heard the law with gladness, despite it trying us…despite it
stripping us bare of our own defenses, and our own justifications, our own
pointing fingers at others. ....
.. ..
A
Feast that didn’t Prophet....
A moment of weakness....
An oath, and peer pressure....
.. ..
As
we return to Herod, as he stares out the window – afraid that John has risen,
and yet perhaps afraid he hasn’t. One
can imagine his thoughts drifting back to the feast, with all the best people –
the most famous, the military leaders, and the most powerful, gathered to honor
him! And his daughter, his precious daughter, entertaining them by dancing
incredibly! ....
.. ..
And
then his promise – let me honor your work, and then, as she runs back from mom,
the unbelievable request! Such a horrid,
ugly, vicious request from such a young woman?
The pressure – for he had vowed to do whatever she asked, vowed before
God – the God that spoke through John!
And all these men, whom heard him promise anything! How does one who thinks himself honorable,
honor his pledge to ....
.. ..
The
guilt, as Herod remembers that horrid day, begins to smother him. The guilt whelms up as he remembers the
executioner return, with the prophets head on a platter. ....
.. ..
Leaders
like Herod really aren’t any different than the rest of us, when it comes to
sin. Like Paul in Romans 7, we find
ourselves caught, doing that which we don’t want to do. Or those things we know we should do, we cannot
muster the courage or the strength to accomplish at times. I believe it is one of the reasons scripture
continually encourages us to pray for those in power and authority, rather than
always mock and curse them.....
.. ..
How
many times have we looked back at our past, with regret, and guilt, and
shame? How many times have we wanted
just a few more minutes, a chance to redeem the past?....
.. ..
A different prophet… a
different feast… a different dance…....
.. ..
After
another feast, Herod will finally meet this other prophet, the young man about
whom the rumors multiplied. Herod wasn’t
at that feast, but Luke tells about the meeting…....
.. ..
Lk 23:8 (NJB) Herod was delighted
to see Jesus; he had heard about him and had been wanting for a long time to
set eyes on him; moreover, he was hoping to see some miracle worked by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but without
getting any reply. 10 Meanwhile the chief
priests and the scribes were there, vigorously pressing their accusations. 11 Then Herod, together with his guards, treated him
with contempt and made fun of him; he put a rich cloak on him and sent him back
to Pilate. 12 And though Herod and Pilate had
been enemies before, they were reconciled that same day. ....
.. ..
Like
the other feast, the young man speaking for God would be executed. And there
would be rumors of his resurrection as well.
But those rumors would not just be rumors but the fact of the greatest
miracles to ever benefit mankind. ....
.. ..
If
Herod was able to consider those rumors, and speak again to Jesus, he would
have found the rest his soul needed. The
paradox of being perplexed and yet glad at the words of God’s messenger would
diminish, as he would begin to realize the all encompassing healing that is
found because Christ was victorious.....
.. ..
The
body was given to be nailed to the cross – bearing all of the sin, and all of
the shame, and all of the guilt of mankind.
The blood poured out, that we would be cleansed from all of it, every
person who cries out to God – answered in the sound of Christ’s words – It is
finished. (Pause)....
That’s one of the biggest differences – for John was sent to preach the law –
look, you’re a sinner – you need to repent, and to be prepared to look to the
Savior God is sending. Christ came, that
all those looking to repent, convicted by their own sin, would know God’s
mercy.....
.. ..
John
couldn’t die for Herod’s sin, he died because of it. Jesus would die, for Herod’s sin, and for
mine, and for yours.....
.. ..
For
while the feast prior to John’s execution promised death, the feast prior to
Jesus’ execution, this feast of victory, promises life and grace, and peace.....
.. ..
So
in a moment come, and celebrate the feast of Christ’s victory for you, and
rejoice in the peace that His resurrection proclaims is yours – the peace of
God, which surpasses all reason and logic, and guards your hearts and minds,
safe in Christ Jesus.....
AMEN?....
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