Families Reconciled in the Lord

For Parents.

Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6:4.

For Children.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Eph. 6:1-3.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 



It is said that blood is thicker than water. What exactly does that mean, anyway? For many it means that we are to stand by and support the lifestyles and actions of family no matter how dysfunctional it gets. For some it might even mean lying for a family member in order to keep them from being incarcerated. Key words in Martin Luther's admonition to obey your parents are the words "in the Lord." God always is the highest authority in our lives. He is our heavenly Father. If He says not to do something, don't do it. If He calls you to do something then just do it. Parents should never provoke or encourage their children to do something that is wrong in the eyes of our Father in heaven.

 

Family is an awesome gift from God. Families make mistakes. They hurt one another. If the family would turn to the Lord they could and would find a way out of the messes that they have wandered into. In turning to the way of the Lord we can find forgiveness and reconciliation. Family is a very good thing. However, we also know that there are times when parents can become so dysfunctional; provoking their children to wrath, encouraging them to do hurtful things to themselves and others; encouraging them to not follow in the ways of the Lord. What is a child to do?

 

Sometimes, even though the parents have done all they could to bring up their children in the way of the Lord, children will turn against their parents, as well. What is a parent to do?

 

For the parents and children who find themselves in these situations and alone without family, don't stop praying for each other that you might all be reconciled in the Lord. Remember, too, that you are a child of God. There is a blood that is thicker than blood and that is the blood of Christ that was shed for you. Our heavenly Father is always with you to support and encourage you in the way that you should go.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Husbands and Wives

Honor One Another!

For Husbands.

Ye husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. 1 Pet. 3:7. And be not bitter against them. Col. 3:9.

For Wives.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 1 Pet. 3:6; Eph. 5:22.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

I am not quite sure what Martin Luther meant when he wrote that husbands should dwell with their wives according to knowledge. Was there some specific knowledge he was speaking about or was he merely saying "Don't be stupid! Treat your wives with honor."?

 

Yesterday, my husband and I held a graduation party for our eldest granddaughter. He was setting tables and chairs out. Cassie and I were preparing the meal when my husband pointed out that I didn't make the coffee the way he thought it ought to be made. I have been making the morning coffee for almost forty-four years. Forty years ago, letting me know that he didn't think that I knew how to make coffee would have been fighting words. Yesterday, I let him remake the coffee without saying a word.

 

As we grow old; as we grow in faith; as we grow in love for one another; we find that there are just some things that are not worth arguing about. We remember that we are both heirs of God's grace and mercy. Respect and honor one another that you might live in peace with one another all the days of your life.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Keep Us From Temptations

The Sixth Petition.

And lead us not into temptation.

What does this mean?--Answer.
God, indeed, tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and gain the victory.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

Every day we face temptations. To some of these we succumb. To others we do not. Often we fail to even recognize that we are being tempted to do or say or think something that we ought not. The world around us tells us that what is wrong is right and what is right is wrong. It can be very confusing.



 

It can be especially confusing for young people who grow up with just a little knowledge of God; but, with way more knowledge of the progressive and materialistic world we live in. They have been taught to follow in the ways that they think will provide them with happiness in the moment and not to consider too much the long term consequences of their choices. 

 

It can be very difficult to discern what is right and what is wrong in many circumstances and so we pray that God would guard and keep us from temptation and when we are tempted that He would help us to be able to stand and say no to them.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Col 2:9-15 Confession and Forgiveness

Colossians 2:9-15 NIV


St. Patrick's Cathedral
Dublin, Ireland

The list of sins that I recall during confession every day can get long at times. Sometimes, it is a lone sin that plagues me to the point where it is most difficult to rid myself of the feelings of guilt because I know the potential damage that the words of my lips or my actions can cause unless God will intercede on the behalf of others. There is nothing I can do about it once something is said or done; except to repent and ask God to protect others from my sinful words or actions. I cannot go back and undo the damage I have done. I can go back and apologize and ask forgiveness. I can trust that God is with those whom I might harm (intentionally or unintentionally) and accept that on the cross my sins were forgiven.

Our sins are forgiven. They are washed away by the blood of Christ. However, in spite of this awesome gift from God, we continue to sin. Martin Luther was well aware of this war within us. That old sinful man keeps rearing its ugly head in spite of the fact that we have life in the body of Christ. Martin encouraged us to daily repentance and renewal. In the Small Catechism Martin Luther answers the question:

"What does Baptism mean for daily living?"
It means that our sinful self, with all its evil deeds and desires, should be drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.

St. Paul writes in Romans 6: We were buried therefore with him by Baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

There are none of us who is without sin. May God help us to remember that it is not just others who might be in need of daily repentance; but, each of us should recognize what our sinful natures are capable of; repent; and be renewed by faith in the one who lived and died and yet lives for and through us.

When your sins plague you with feelings of guilt; remember that Jesus died so that your sins might be forgiven. "He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (vss 13-15)

God's Peace - Pr. J

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Discern The Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 NIV
 "For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." (vs 29-30)

It is necessary to discern the context in which we are reading this reminder to discern the Body of Christ. Paul is reminding the people that when they come together their are divisions among them. Some think of themselves more highly than others. They lift their own desires and needs before others.

When Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper he said, "This is my body. This is my blood." We believe this. We receive His Body when we receive the Sacrament. Also, it is good to keep in mind is that each member who receives this Sacrament is a member of His Body. When we receive His Body in the Sacrament without discerning that these others with us are members of His Body; that He resides in them and they in us, we are disrespecting Jesus (Big Time!). We are eating and drinking judgment upon ourselves.

Therefore; if you have something against your brother or sister in Christ make every opportunity to be reconciled before you come to the Table. For we are one in Christ. We, who receive His Body are the Body of Christ. Do not disrespect His Body. It is as simple and as mysterious as that.

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. Sorry, woke up late this morning and on my way out, already. Martin Luther had a lot to say on this and I wish I had more time to elaborate. This lesson requires much more time and effort. If members wish for me to elaborate, we could do a class or workshop on this. Let me know if any are interested...

Jeremiah 14 - False Gods And Droughts

Despite the fact that the LORD tells Jeremiah to quit praying for the welfare of these back-sliding people, Jeremiah continues to pray for them and even attempts to justify them by making excuses for them.

But, the LORD knows the truth and they will suffer what they will suffer and that includes the false prophets who keep promising peace in a place where there is no peace. There is no peace in a land where the people worship false gods. Will the false gods help them? No, they will not. Neither, will ours. We bring the calamity upon ourselves when we turn our backs on God and listen to those who would please our itching ears; when we worship anything other than the one true God.

Yesterday, after spending the day touring local waterfalls and the beach, and a couple of stops at the Aura Jamboree, I brought my grandchildren home to their father. Then, I came home to crash on the couch. Nothing worthwhile on television for sure. I flipped through news channel after news channel wondering in amazement how Martin and Zimmerman was still the top headline of the day since it has been about a week since Zimmerman's acquittal. I flipped through reruns of Criminal Minds and Law and Order and an assortment of other programs; finally flipping to the section of religious programming. About five minutes of bouncing from one false prophet after another telling us how we could get rich in this world was all I could take. Oi! Sometimes, I'm a little slow; but, I finally figured out that it would be best to stop flipping mindlessly through channels and spend some one on one time with God. The latter proved to be much more blessed experience.

And... God's people were, and many still are, listening to the false prophets. Happiness, it seems, is about silver and gold and yes, even green paper with pictures of presidents and from being a spectator of those famous calamities that we call stars that exhibit very poor behavior and lack of faith on that flat screen in our living rooms. Idols come in different shapes and sizes today, but they are still false idols which steer us away from a real relationship with the One who loves us more than all others.

Is your life is empty? Are you living in a drought? Then, hear the prayer of Jeremiah:
"Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
    Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
    Therefore our hope is in you,
    for you are the one who does all this." (Jer 14:22 NIV)

Return to the LORD, to the One who loves you. Let your hope rest in Him.

God's Peace - Pr. J