God Will Deliver You

"And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you." (Isa 46:4 KJV)

Thanks be to God that He who created us is with us and delivers us. There are times when sorrows are so deep that we might wonder how He will deliver us. There are times when it feels as though the world around us has gone absolutely mad as everyone looks to their own interests and cannot recognize that the good of others is in their best interest. It is in their best interest to live in peace with one another and with God.

Yet, without the love of God, we are not capable of living in that peace. Without the blood of Christ shed for us there would be no reconciliation with our Father in heaven. There would be no peace.

According to St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians Jesus is our peace.

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh." (Eph 2:14-17)

In Christ we are one body. We are the family of God created and delivered to live in peace with one another. Do not fear. It is the great "I Am" who has created and delivered you. He is with you now and always even as he promised.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matt 28:18-20)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Evil Is Good?

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10 NIV)

It's hard to hate evil when you don't know what evil is. The world has turned what is evil into something good and many, many listen to the world rather than God. Even many who claim to be Christians have not heard his truth. They do not know him and they do not hear his voice. They hear only the voice of the world calling them to accept what is evil as not evil.

You may not hear the audible voice of God speaking to you. But, those who love the Lord will hear the Word will hear within themselves what is sin and what is not. Those who love the Lord will read and hear the word found in the Holy Scriptures: Long ago, the prophet Isaiah warned us:

Woe to those who call evil good

  and good evil,
who put darkness for light
  and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
  and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
  and clever in their own sight.
                    (Isaiah 5:20-21)

If you love the Lord, you will hear his voice and you will know what he calls you to. He has shown us all what that is according to the prophet Micah:  

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

  And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy

  and to walk humbly with your God.
                                              (Micah 6:8)

Acting justly toward all people, being merciful and walking humbly with God are good things. Living life in this way will help us to not be quite so prone to calling what is evil good.

It is important to know what is sin and what is good. According to Martin Luther: "For from the error of not knowing, or understanding, what sin is, there necessarily arises another error, that people cannot know or understand what grace is."

If you truly love your neighbor, our God, and even yourself, then please understand that evil; that sin, will lead you and the world down a path that will lead to destruction. We may not destroy someone with our own hands when we call evil good; but, by calling it good we are promoting the destruction of others and of society as a whole.

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10) 

God's Peace - Pr. J

His Will; Not Ours

I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

God's law is within the hearts of all who believe. But; we, being sinful human beings, sometimes let our own desires override the law of God. We would prefer to do our will rather than His and sadly, trouble naturally ensures.

We are not alone in this struggle of doing God's will and leaving our own wills behind us. St. Paul, one of the most faithful men that I know of, struggled with this as well. He wrote to the Romans (7:21-25 NIV) "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! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

The struggle between doing God's will and fulfilling our own egos will continue. But, for the sake of all of God's people, we ought not give up the fight. We pray often that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven so let us be confident that it will be done trusting in Him to help us on the way.

And, as we go on, let us always give thanks to God, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

What Is Baptism?

Lately, I have found myself explaining what baptism is on more than one occasion; that it is not just a symbolic ritual. Baptism is not something that we do; rather, it is a precious gift from God. I was going to use this blog to explain it more clearly and realized that I should probably just go to the Small Catechism found in the Book of Concord for a more concise explanation. So here it is, a reminder from the Book of Concord as we ought to teach it to our children.

IV. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.

First.

What is Baptism?--Answer.

Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's Word.

Which is that word of God?--Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

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.

Thirdly.

How can water do such great things?--Answer.

It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.

Fourthly.

What does such baptizing with water signify?--Answer.

It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Where is this written?--Answer.

St. Paul says Romans, chapter 6: We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death, that, like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

As Lutherans, this is what we believe.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Keep Me In Your Way

Keep me from deceitful ways;
    be gracious to me and teach me your law.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I have set my heart on your laws.
Psalm 119:29-30 NIV

St. Paul wrote to the Romans (7:15-20) "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."

Even when we desire to be faithful to God, without His help, we cannot do it. Without the abiding presence of Christ, we are lost.

St. Paul continued in his letter to the Romans (7:21-25) "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!"

And, so we pray:  Keep me from deceitful ways, be gracious to me and help me to follow in your way. 

God's Peace - Pr. J