Will You Share The Good News?

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

                                                                                (Rom 10:8-13 KJV)

I have heard it said too many times that "my faith is personal." Indeed it is! 

"I do not have to go to church to worship because God is near to me in creation." Indeed He is. But, we are also members of one body in Christ. That does not mean isolate from one another. But, to gather together often to hear his word and to proclaim it ourselves. We are called to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. That does not come about without knowing who he is and actually knowing him. We come to do this by not just reading the Bible, but by hearing the word proclaimed.

"I don't talk about my faith because everyone has their own faith and I shouldn't force anyone to believe what I believe." Indeed they do! But, is their faith life saving faith? Do we not have so little faith that we are ashamed of sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus the Christ? Do we not love others enough to desire to see them receive the precious gift of salvation?

The Good News is for everyone. It does not matter who they; where they are from; or what they have done. All who believe that Jesus was raised from the dead for them; for us, shall be saved.

Share the Good News that others might call upon the name of the Lord and be saved!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Grief

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

                                                                                 (Eccl 3:1-2,4 KJV)

As much as I sometimes regret retiring from parish ministry, this week I was once again reminded of one of the reasons to retire. I spent many years serving one particular congregation and got very close to them. They were and are still like family. I had the good pleasure of being there at births, at graduations, of baptizing them, marrying them, of being there to celebrate for a lot of very special occasions. There was much laughing and singing and dancing over the years.

But, I was also there to witness much grief. I was there for sickness, for losses of employment, and for divorces as well as many other rough times. I buried hundreds, many who were very close to me, witnessing and grieving with their loved ones. The closer I got to any of them during their lives the harder is was for me to preside at their funerals. I no longer could refrain from weeping during the sermons as I looked into the eyes of the family sitting in front of me. I did not weep for the deceased. I had hope in the promise that all who people have eternal life. I wept for the families. I wept to see such pain. 

During most of this time I was also the home health care and hospice chaplain for the local hospital. One would think that I would have grown used to death. Death is inevitable. For the faithful death is not the end. We have hope. Yet, when someone is ripped from our lives grief is also inevitable. As we hear from the preacher in Ecclesiastes there is a time to weep and a time to mourn. 

This past week, a young friend died; a father of young children died. His parents were neighbors and also friends. It saddens me greatly to even think about the grief his family is enduring. It grieves me to think of his young children growing up without their father. 

Over a year ago, after I had retired, I had been asked to preside at the funeral of another man much younger than myself. He was survived by a teenage son whom I had known since birth.  The boys mother, who had been a friend, had died some time before. To see such a beloved child of God in so much grief and pain I could not refrain from weeping as I proclaimed the Gospel. It was a very tough sermon to get through. It was the last funeral I presided at. 

It was a reminder of how close I had gotten to the community (not just the congregation) that I had served in and that I no longer was able to control my own emotions as I witnessed the grief experienced by others. 

I have reminded myself over the years as I wept with those who grieved that even Jesus wept when he met Lazarus' sisters after Lazarus' death and saw them in so much pain. Pastors grieve too. Pastors are allowed to shed tears. But, today I find that grief overwhelms me too often as I witness the grief of others and that is one of the reasons it was best that I retire from parish ministry. That doesn't mean I quit serving God. It will just be in other ways. 

May God grant all who grieve peace of heart and mind in the assurance of everlasting life for all who believe.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Refrain From Evil And Rejoice

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Quench not the Spirit.

Despise not prophesyings.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.                                                                                                                                (1 Thess 5:16-24 KJV)

"Rejoice evermore!" This third Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of joy. Oh, if only there would be joy in the world! But, it does not happen because people love darkness. They hold fast to what is evil rather than what is good for not just themselves but for others as well. 

Let us abstain from all appearance of evil as best as is humanly possibly so that the world might know the joy that the angel proclaimed and the peace that the whole host of angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus the Christ our Savior and Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Smooth Talk And Itching Ears

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. Rom 16:17-19 NIV

We've all heard them; those who, with smooth talk, teach and preach a false gospel. It is not any different today than in what it was in St. Paul's day. There is one way to tell if something proclaimed to you is the truth; know the scriptures: read them, study them, and hear them. The message proclaimed to us through the prophets is found in them. The fulfillment is found in them. Do not let your itching ears lead you to believe smooth talkers whose aim is not to glorify God; but their own egos. It is neither wise nor safe to accept any doctrine that cannot be supported by scripture; scripture supports scripture.

Read your Bibles daily and have a blessed day; a blessed life in Christ Jesus.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

P.S. Join us as we hear the Word at worship at Christ Lutheran every Sunday morning at 10 a.m.. However, we do begin our day at 8:45 for Adult Sunday School. We are presently studying the book of Romans. You are welcome to join us!

The Power Of The Spirit Of Christ

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

Gal 2:20a

"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing

while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."  1 Cor 2:1-5

Paul was not an uneducated man. Yet, he resolved to know nothing when he was with the people except Jesus. His focus, his thought, his talk was on nothing other than Jesus the Christ. He did not allow the fact that he was indeed a man of learning and of some status to get in the way of proclaiming the one thing that mattered most: Jesus Christ and him crucified. Nothing else mattered. His utmost concern was proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus the Christ.

Paul's ego died in order for the power of the Spirit of Christ to work through him. Our egos must also die if we truly desire for the message of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ to be proclaimed and heard and believed.

May it be, in all of God's church on earth, that whatever we say and do; it is done by the power of the Spirit of Christ who abides in all who believe.

God's Peace - Pr. J