Rejoice And Be Glad!

"Hallelujah!
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear."
                                          Rev 19:6b-8

We have a lot to rejoice in. St. John exiled on Patmos for his faith did not give up hope. St. Paul did not give up hope. The many saints before us never gave up hope. They looked to the day when they would be reconciled to God our Father and our Lord Jesus the Christ in the home that Christ prepared for us.

Life can be pretty confusing and tough at times. In times like those, remember, that today will pass and tomorrow will come whether we are here in this world or in the Kingdom prepared for us. For all who believe in Jesus and his gifts of forgiveness and salvation for us, life will go on. It is eternal.

By the blood of Jesus we have been reconciled to God and one another even now. So, rejoice and be glad and give God the glory! Give God the glory in all that you say and think and do. Whatever you do, do it as if to the Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

If We Say We Have No Sin

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:8-10 NRSV

Not too long ago, I had occasion to listen to someone insist that they had never stolen anything from anyone. They were totally incapable or unwilling to confess that they were guilty of taking something that belonged to another in spite of the fact that concrete evidence had been presented in a courtroom more than once; that they had been found guilty a few times; and had spent time in jail and in prison on at least a couple of occasions.

I wish that this were an isolated incident; but, it is not. Over and over again, I have witnessed this inability to confess a sin even though there were witnesses; even though confession would have helped them in the long run.

About a year ago, I witnessed two teen-age boys breaking into a house. But, they claimed that they were innocent. I was mistaken. How do you mistake someone crawling through a bedroom window? Apparently, I can! I guess they were just going to visit even though no one was home. They meant no harm. There was no need for forgiveness because they denied it; the incident was forgotten and these young people continued in the way that they had been  going. 

We all sin. But, according to St. John, it is imperative that we confess our sins so that we can receive forgiveness. Being cleansed from all unrighteousness, we can move on with our lives in a new and fruitful way that will benefit not just ourselves but others around us.

"If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Sadly, in this world there are those who feel that they do not need to be cleansed of unrighteousness. Sadly, there are those who feel that doing injustice is the way to live and to teach others to live.

Jesus died so that we might receive forgiveness and be reconciled to our Father in heaven and to the whole Body of Christ. This forgiveness is for all who would believe in him; none are excluded. Repent; turn around and follow Jesus into the Kingdom of God.

May God speak to our hearts and minds that we might all repent and turn to Him; following in our Lord's footsteps; helping and defending rather than doing injustice to our neighbors.

God's Peace - Pr. J

For The Forgiveness Of Sins

"While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matt 26:26-28)

Who does not need forgiveness? Is there any one who is without sin?

Some time ago, our congregation decided that they would receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion every Sunday. Some of our members have to work on Sundays. Some of our youth were out of town with the other custodial parents on some Sundays. There are also those who worship only occasionally by choice. There are many reasons that prevent God's children from worshipping every Sunday.

It is not our place to figure out why. It is not our place to say that if they wanted to hear the Word and receive the Sacrament, they would come. It is our place to hope and pray for those who cannot or will not hear the Word and receive the Sacrament regularly. We choose to make the Sacrament available to those occasional visitors and members so that they could be reassured that Christ died for the forgiveness of all. Our prayer and hope is that many would come and be relieved of their sins. Our hope and prayer is that in receiving the Sacrament, they will be renewed in the Body of Christ.

May God speak to the hearts and minds of all people; encouraging them to come and receive His Son; to forgiveness of their sins in and through him.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Your Sins Are Forgiven

"For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?"
Matt 9:5

I spent about an hour last night practicing mental math. I often see, posted on facebook, comments about how someone did not have to use Algebra at all that day, insinuating that it is a wasted study on our young people. It apparently was for those people who have to ask me to do some mental math for them. After all, there's no need to learn something if someone else will do it for you. Actually, math problems run through my head sporadically throughout the day, especially when I am sitting around waiting for something. It can be something as simple as counting the tiles on a ceiling or floor and figuring the area of a room. I don't do too many complicated equations; just what I can do in my head. I just like numbers! I enjoy the challenge of solving problems in my head instead of on paper or on a calculator. I taught myself mental math when I was very young and to tell you the truth I sometimes wonder why others have not shown an interest in learning it when it can be so much easier to do than the traditional ways we've been taught. But, there are those who always like to do things the hard way.

The scribes were a bit upset when Jesus forgave a paralytic man his sins. They judged that he was blaspheming. His response was "which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven; or 'Stand up and walk?'" Indeed, which is easier? Four simple words and they are not as difficult to say as one would expect and when said they heal a multitude of wounds. "Your sins are forgiven!" Practice saying them. It is easier to forgive than to be angry or to hold a grudge the rest of your life. Forgive those whom you are angry with; whether, you feel justified in your anger or not. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. Jesus died so that this might happen. He worked out the problem of sin. He did all of the work. Don't be trying to work things out according to your sense of justice. That is the hard way and the wrong way. Step out in faith and receive your forgiveness. Step out in faith and forgive others their trespasses against you. Step out in faith and receive wholeness! It is easier than staying angry your whole life. With Christ, it is easier than one might expect.

God's Peace - Pr. J

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

Confession

V. Confession

How Christians should be taught to confess.

What is Confession?*

Confession embraces two parts: the one is, that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no wise doubt, but firmly believe, that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven.

What sins should we confess?

Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those which we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess those sins alone which we know and feel in our hearts.

Which are these?

Here consider your station according to the Ten Commandments, whether you are a father, mother, son, daughter, master, mistress, a man-servant or maid-servant; whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, slothful; whether you have grieved any one by words or deeds; whether you have stolen, neglected, or wasted aught, or done other injury.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

No, the confessional has not been done away with in the Lutheran church. Yes, we confess our sins corporately and receive absolution every Sunday morning at Zion. Yes, I am available to hear private confessions whenever you feel a need. I assume that all Christians are aware that they are able to confess their sins directly to God. However, I am aware that many Lutherans are not aware that private confession with their pastors is also available. I do not hear many private confessions. Mostly, the ones I do hear are younger people. Some of us are so troubled by our consciences that we need to be able to put voice to our sins and hear with our ears and believe these words: "You are forgiven. God forgives you all your sins."

 

There is no need to be burdened by the sins that trouble your conscience in such a way that it disrupts your ability to serve God or neighbor. Confess your sins so that you might be reassured that you have been forgiven and reconciled to God our Father, through Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Believe And Be Baptized

Secondly.

What does Baptism give or profit?--Answer.

It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are such words and promises of God? Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php



 

I have run a across a very sad thing; there are those within the church on earth who have not been baptized! How does this happen? How is it that a believer has not received the Sacrament of Baptism?

 

I've heard a few reasons. Mostly, it has come down to embarrassment over not having been baptized earlier, as a younger person. Those who have not been baptized; yet, are within the church, receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, will rarely just tell you that they are not. You will have to ask them. 

 

I first ran across this years ago when I was working on membership rosters and the official congregation records. We were missing information that should have been in the books: things like birth and baptismal dates that would have been registered decades earlier. I thought that this might be a good reason to do some extra home visits and get to know some of the congregation a little better. A very elderly woman whom I regularly visited in a nursing home was on the list for missing baptismal dates. When I asked her where and when she'd been baptized, she was relieved that I had asked her about it. No one else ever had. She confessed that she had never been baptized. When she was a child, they had a circuit pastor, who normally did baptisms during hay making season. As a child, she had been in the fields working with her family when the pastor came around. After she got older and got more active in the congregation no one asked her about her baptism and she was a bit embarrassed to admit that she hadn't previously been baptized. That's the short version of a very long story. Ultimately, she received the Sacrament of Baptism in the nursing home with her children and grandchildren around her about a week before she died.

 

This was not a lone incident. Most I've encountered, were then baptized. A few have declined to receive this gift from God.

 

We are to go and teach and baptize so that others might come to faith and be assured that they have received forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. The mission field is huge. It begins within our own congregations. Do not assume that someone is saved just because they attend worship once or twice a year or even every Sunday. Do not assume that they know Jesus. Do not assume that they have received the Sacrament of Baptism. Proclaim the Good News to all people and encourage them to receive this life saving gift from God. And... don't forget to tell them about the benefit of Baptism, a gift from God for them.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

 

Holy Spirit Sanctifies; Makes Us Holy

The Third Article.

Of Sanctification.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?--Answer.
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

  http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

 

It is by God the Father that we are created. It is by the life giving sacrifice of God the Son that we have been saved. It is by the Holy Spirit that we are sanctified. In the past I have been warned that it might be best not to use the word sanctify as many would not understand what the word means. Sanctify mean to be made holy. The Holy Spirit makes us holy. Jesus died for our salvation. He died that we might be reconciled to God our Father. This is good news. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that this truth is revealed and preached. It is not by our own reason or strength; but, by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to receive this good news as our own truth.

 

May God grant that the eyes, ears, and hearts of the world be open to hear and receive the truth, who is Jesus the Christ, that we might be made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

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

2 Corinthians 2:1-11 Division Pleases Satan

2 Corinthians 2:1-11
St. Paul urges the church at Corinth to forgive the one who has had to be confronted for their sin. They must, he says, in order that Satan might not outwit them. Forgiveness reconciles us to one another and to God in Christ. Satan is not so keen on us working together for the sake of Christ. His aim is to divide us; to turn us against one another; to keep us from proclaiming the gospel.

Sin causes separation and division. Division switches our focus to things other than the love of God in Christ Jesus. May God help us to forgive our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in Christ that the mission of the church be not hampered by the schemes of the devil.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Romans 16:1-16 Greet One Another With A Holy Kiss

Romans 16:1-16 NIV
Paul commends both men and women to the church at Rome; to work with and assist Phoebe in her ministry and to greet other servants of the Lord.

Greet one another with a holy kiss, he tells them. I am a hugger and a kisser. I have gotten pretty good at refraining from hugging people without their permission. I have to admit, though, that on rare occasions I sometimes slip and someone gets hugged who probably prefers that I not invade their space.

I remember when the "sharing of the peace" first became popular during Worship Services years ago. Many people were really put off by this "touching." We have come a long way since that time. Sometimes, I wonder if we've gone overboard. My congregation is filled with very welcoming and loving brothers and sisters in Christ. At Zion, the sharing of God's peace among those worshipping can sometimes take up to five minutes even though we are not a large congregation by any means. There are many holy kisses shared. I wonder, at times, if I should put a stop to it. Not! In these words; "God's peace" or "God's peace be with you" we are asking to have peace continue or in some cases to be restored between us. We are essentially asking for or granting absolution for any sins we may have committed against each other. We are asking that any walls that we may have built, knowingly or unknowingly, between us and others in the community, by our words or actions, be torn down and that we be reconciled to one another in Christ Jesus. The physical action that comes in shaking hands or sharing a holy kiss (or hug) can be likened to tearing down the wall between us even as the void between us is breached. By the time the sharing of the peace is accomplished, I am usually standing at the altar waiting; but, I refrain from stopping this display of Christian love and reconciliation. I remind myself that only God knows who in the congregation may need to be reconciled to one another with the peace of God before they receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I trust that He is doing that while I wait trying not to hurry His work along.

God's peace be with you all.
Pr. J.

Romans 7 I Do Not Do What I Desire

Baptized into the Body of Christ
Huron River, MI

Romans 7 NIV
Saints, yet sinners; justified by the blood of Christ, daily we continue to struggle with sin. You and I are not alone in this. Even Paul, who was marvelously converted when he met the ascended Jesus on his way to persecute more Christians, continued to struggle with his sinful self. He wrote:

     "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
     So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (vs 15-25)

The fight with sin is an ongoing battle within us. We confess and ask forgiveness for those things that we have done as well as for those things that we have left undone. We confess and ask forgiveness daily even as we remember our baptisms into the Body of Christ; giving thanks to God who has delivered us from even ourselves.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 16:16-18 Law and Kingdom

Luke 16:16-18 NIV
Until the time of John there was only the law and hope for salvation to come in the future. But, John brought more. He brought the Good News of the Kingdom at hand. Yes, it was still hope; but, the realization of the fulfillment of that hope was closer than ever before and the people were excited. Jesus was/is the fulfillment of that hope. No, not one law has disappeared from the books. But, it has been fulfilled in Jesus. The one without sin died for us sinners. He was the living sacrifice so that we might receive mercy through trusting that through Him we might receive forgiveness for the laws that we have broken.

After John the Baptist the good news of the Kingdom of God was preached. In Jesus Christ, it is definitely at hand. It has come near. Now, that is something to be excited about!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 5:12-26 - Forgiveness and Healing

Luke 5:12-26 NIV
Jesus heals the sick. He heals a leper by touching him and simply saying, "Be clean!" (vs 13) He tells the paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven. Then, after discussing who has the power to forgive sins with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, he tells the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” (vs 24) The man takes up his mat and goes home praising God.

So what does the forgiveness of sin and healing have to do with one another. Are we to think that we become ill because we are ill. In the story of the blind man that was healed by Jesus (John 9), Jesus pointed out that the blindness was not due to any sin, but so that God's works might be revealed. On the other hand, I have seen many a person who no matter how many prayers are said, what the doctors do, a person remains chronically ill. There may no longer be anything physically wrong with them, but they remain tired and maybe even bed bound. We often overlook that our physical state can affect our spiritual state and our spiritual state can affect our physical well-being.

It is not because God does not forgive; but, sometimes we refuse to receive our forgiveness, hanging to our own sins and our own guilt. We refuse to let go and receive the blessings of forgiveness and healing. We must get over ourselves and let God have His way, blessing us with all the abundance He has to offer, beginning with forgiveness of our sins. Like the paralyzed man; sometimes, we must receive our forgiveness before we can move forward to wholeness of body, mind, and spirit.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Matthew 26:17-30 - This Is My Body

In a couple of weeks our third graders will begin preparing to receive their first Communion on Maundy Thursday. At Zion, we remember the night in which he was betrayed and the night that he shared this Passover meal with his disciples, by the washing of our children's feet prior to them gathering at the Lord's Table to receive his body and blood for the first time. Not that they have not already been preparing; but, during Lent they will focus more intently on "What does this mean?" as a part of our pre-confirmation Sunday School curriculum.

I, as well as many of our members, get a little anxious that everyone may or may not understand that in receiving this "communion," we are receiving the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is not just a memorial. Communion is one of the means of grace, by which Christ comes to abide in us and we in Him. We are emptied of our sin, through the forgiveness received in this Sacrament, and then filled back up with the presence of Christ with the same Sacrament. (So, tell me again, why you're not rushing to the Lord's Table at every opportunity.)

This question is asked of everyone learning about this Sacrament: "How do we know that we are truly receiving the body and blood of Jesus?" The answer I usually receive is: "Because Jesus said it is."  Indeed he did.

   While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

   Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matt 26:26-28 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Lamentations 2 - No More Killing

The wall has been torn down (vs 8).  God's children willfully turned their backs on Him and He has withdrawn His right hand from the approach of their enemy. (vs 3) The enemy has overtaken them at the LORD's hand. There is nothing, no One, to protect them.

And... what is their response? They cry! They blame God!

“Look, Lord, and consider:
    Whom have you ever treated like this?
Should women eat their offspring,
    the children they have cared for?
Should priest and prophet be killed    
    in the sanctuary of the Lord?" (vs 20 NIV)

That women should eat their offspring, is this God's fault? That a government would use chemical weapons on their own people or anyone; that a government should invade the airspace of another and target those we suspect (key word - suspect) are our enemies with drones; that a court should find guilty and put to death an innocent man; that a parent could murder his/her own children; is this God's fault? Maybe, we should consider that because we would disrespect His creation with such atrocities against one another that God might withhold His hand of protection from us. Maybe, we should quit blaming God for what we do in His name and take a little responsibility for not caring for those things in this world that God has given us.

Yes, lament, grieve, the losses. But, we need to put an end to blaming God for the consequences of our own actions and inactions. We need to be able to stand up and confess our sins that we might receive forgiveness purchased for us (for all) through the blood of Jesus Christ, our LORD; otherwise His death has been in vain.

No more killing.... “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 130 - Persistent Prayer

I wait for the LORD, to hear my prayers and answer. There have been a few prayer petitions that I have been praying for forty, even fifty plus years. Like the persistant widow, (Luke 18) I will not let up.  My whole being waits for the LORD to answer. There are times, when the prayers are answered, and then thanks to the human condition, everything goes back to the way it was before.

Psalm 130 reminds us that God does not keep a record of the sins of those whom He forgives. The problem is that we do. Even though God forgives; sometimes, it is impossible for us to forgive ourselves and we carry along the old baggage, doomed to repeat those things that have separated us from God. We are doomed to repeat those very things which we hate about ourselves.

Through faith in the one who died for our sins, we are forgiven. Believe it so that you might move on. Believe it so that you will be one less prayer petition on someone else's tongue! 

I have seen so many prayers for salvation of others answered. They serve the LORD with gladness. I was one of the prayer petitions for an aunt for many years. The LORD heard her and answered, leading me to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, guiding me beside still waters (Psalm 23). Thanks be to God for this persistent widow! Like the persistent widow, I will not stop crying out of the depths to the LORD for those who are lost. I may never see, with these eyes, the answer to my prayer. But, with the eyes of faith, I know that it is already done.

The LORD forgives you. He has wiped the record of your sins clean. You are free to reverence and serve Him.  Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 81 - Stubborn Hearts Need Listen

Again we hear and are reminded that those with the stubborn hearts should listen to God.  I guess we have to keep being reminded to listen to Him, because we are so stubborn.  We refuse to hear God's Word.  We refuse to remember and sing for joy for what God has done for us.

If only we would listen! If only we would hear!  So many people who go from one crisis to another.  They don't remember what God did to help them through the first crisis.  They off don't remember what they did to get them in the mess in the first place.  They do remember something, though!  They remember all kinds of things that others supposedly did that brought the crisis upon them.  They falsely remember and blame others for their sins.  The burden cannot be removed from their shoulders until they take the burden of their sins upon their shoulders.  God cannot remove their foes, if the foes that they have live only in their own imagination and they are their own enemy.  I take that back...  God can remove the strongest foe, even if that foe is our self. 

Through recognizing that we are our own worst enemies, by recognizing that it is we who have sinned against God, humanity, and ourselves; by recognizing these things and turning to God, we are forgiven. The burden is removed. "You would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” says the LORD. (Psalm 81:16 NIV)

May God help you to listen and to hear so that you might turn to the LORD and not be stuck in crisis', following our own devices, created by our stubborn hearts. (vs 11,12)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 38 - You Are Forgiven!

David is a sinner.  His guilt lays heavy on his heart. He confesses his iniquity.  He is genuinely sorry for his sins against God.

We, too, are sinners. When the guilt lays heavy upon our hearts it behooves us to turn to the LORD, confess our sins, and receive the forgiveness that God has so freely bestowed upon us through our Saviour, Jesus the Christ.

As Lutherans, we are taught that we should daily confess our sins before God.  Sometimes, the guilt lays so heavy that it is difficult for us to forgive ourselves.  We know that we are not worthy of forgiveness.  We don't want to be the one's responsible for the spilling of the blood of Jesus.  No one, we think, should die for our sins.  But, he did.  It is done.  It is finished.  He loves you that much.  You are forgiven.

I have often been asked if I hear confessions.  Of course I do!  There are some who think that their confessions should be private and only between them and God.  Confession, with your Pastor remains private, always.  (If it is not - find a new confessor) Sometimes, it is necessary, when our guilt seems to overwhelm us and we are unable to forgive ourselves, that we are able to speak aloud our sins and hear the declaration that God forgives you.  For the sake of His Son, you are forgiven. 

There is no shame in confessing our sins.  There is only freedom and peace received in the reconciling Word of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 32 - Blessed is the Confessee

"Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." (Psalm 32:1 NIV)

Confession, today, is quite a different animal than it was years ago.  I probably only hear, at the most, a dozen direct confessions a year.  I hear many more than that indirectly, though.  They start out with a simple conversation and all of a sudden I realize that I am hearing someone's confession.  This is a good thing!  When I hear them, whether they were intentional confessions in a more traditional fashion (that is, someone asking me to hear their confession) or whether the confession just happens during conversation, they receive prayer and absolution. They are reminded that their transgressions are forgiven.  They are reminded that their sins are covered by the blood of Christ.

Sadly, I don't hear as many confessions today as could or should be heard.  Recently, I have had a couple of people tell me that they have forgiven me.  We were, in a loose sense, reconciled. But, sadly, these people never confessed their own sins.  They continue to live in turmoil.  The world is out to get them. They are right. Everyone else is wrong. They will most likely continue in the chaos they have created for themselves for a very long time; at least until they can recognize the sin that has come to inhabit their lives.  Sadly, no repentence. No confession. No absolution.

You see, if we cannot confess our sins, then we have a bit of trouble accepting the forgiveness that God so freely has given us through the death of His Son.  It's not that God will not forgive you. It's more a matter of you wanting to be forgiven.  After all, if one is perfect, than you have no need of forgiveness.  Jesus told the Pharisees:  “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt 9:12-13 NIV)

We are all sinners.  "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8) But, the good news is that Jesus came that our transgressions might be forgiven.  Jesus came that we might be sanctified and reconciled to God our Father and to one another in the Kingdom of God.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matt 4:17)

Dear one, confess your sins, receive the forgiveness that is given to you through Body and Blood of our LORD, Jesus Christ. "Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered."

God's Peace - Pr. J