Dear Fellow Forgiven Sinners,

There are many sayings along the lines of “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” The idea behind them, driven by our need to earn what we receive because we don’t want to feel like we owe someone anything. It’s a natural reaction for us to do things for someone in exchange for receiving things from them. And if we do get a free lunch … we likely ask, “What’s the catch?”

This isn’t a modern dilemma. It probably goes back as far as the first time Eve went to the store to get new fig leaves for the family. It was certainly the cause of Martin Luther’s extreme anxiety back in the early 1500s. He struggled mightily with the idea that he simply wasn’t good enough … hadn’t done enough … to earn God’s favor. Stories of Martin’s self-abuse are legendary as he tried to earn God’s favor, and thus His forgiveness. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Martin Luther believed this with all his heart, soul, and mind. However, due to his many fallings short, he couldn’t accept God’s grace and mercy; because he, as a sinner, hadn’t done anything to deserve it. And this left him distressed and overcome by guilt.

Then Luther read Romans 1:17, in the original Greek, as opposed to the Latin used in the church at the time. In reading the original Greek, Luther discovered that it wasn’t his adherence to the law that earned him God’s grace, but rather … it’s through simple “faith,” which God gives freely to all who believe in Jesus Christ, that God gives His righteousness, justifying them … making believers right with Him … by forgiving their sins. Luther finally understood that “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine” doesn’t apply when it comes to God’s grace and mercy. True enough “all have sinned” … but equally, and more importantly, “All … are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:24) This life changing discovery changed the course of Luther’s life … leading him to join many others in his day to reform the Christian church and its doctrine on how God’s Word actually tells us we’re freed from the power of sin, death, and the devil.

As Martin Luther posted in famous 95 Theses, his intent wasn’t to create a new denomination, but to get the church talking and thinking about changes to correct errant teachings on how God saved His people through His grace and mercy, found only in His Word. The church of his day didn’t appreciate Luther’s, or many other reformers’, ideas on reform, labeling them heretics. Thankfully, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God protected Luther and enabled him and the many other reformers to bring about needed change so that today, God’s creation, including all mankind, can hear and believe Jesus’ promise that, “If the Son sets you free (from sin), you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) … and … there’s no catch whatsoever! Rejoice fellow saints … you’re forgiven!

                                                               Your Fellow Forgiven Sinner,

                                                               Pastor Jim

Photo by John Banks on Unsplash

Dear Saints of First Lutheran,

It takes a certain kind of person to answer the call to serve in the military. My thanks to all who have served … and currently serve. I recognize and thank you and your families’ for your service, especially on Veteran’s Day. As a veteran myself, I understand the call to serve. When we hear the call, we answer without knowing, really, what to expect. I know when I joined the military, the U.S. hadn’t fired a shot … or been fired on … in anger in some time. Yet, inherent to military duty is the danger associated with defending the country from “all enemies, foreign and domestic” as the military’s oaths of enlistment and office state. In accordance with this oath, our military veterans and current members vowed to stand firm against those enemies in order to protect the rest of us from harm. So … thank you for your service to us and our nation.

As Christians, God calls us, His children, to serve Him. We might look at Moses’ for an example. One day, while tending his sheep, Moses saw an unusual sight. It was a bush which was on fire, yet, unlike a normal fire, it wasn’t consuming the bush. Then the bush called out to Moses. And this is where God calls Moses into His service to be the means by which He would free His people from slavery in Egypt. Moses recognized the possibility of danger that lay ahead. Here he was, now a lowly shepherd, who years before had escaped Egypt with his life following his killing of an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew (Exodus 2:11-15). But God promised His protection to Moses saying, “But I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) So, Moses, trusting God, went as God asked and stood firm, under His protection, before Pharaoh until … Pharaoh released God’s people from slavery. Throughout the ordeal, Moses resolutely held to God’s call to him as God protected him while he stood firmly against Pharaoh.

We often think Moses was a mighty man of God who boldly answered and carried out God’s call. When, in fact, Moses was anything but bold. He seriously doubted his ability to serve God. Moses first response, “How can I stand up to Pharaoh?” … God said, “I’ll be with you.” Then Moses figured the people wouldn’t believe him, “Who do I say is sending me?” … God said, “The God of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Exodus 3:11-15) Moses next attempt to get out of his call, “They won’t believe me” … God said, “OK, I’ll give you some signs of my power.” And He did. Finally, Moses tried, “I’m not very good with words” … God said, “I’ve got you covered. I’ll send Aaron, your brother. He’s great with words.” (Exodus 4:1-17) We also, like Moses – doubting our own abilities, might try to come up with excuses to avoid serving as God calls us. But know that, also like Moses, God never sends us alone. He knows we’d fail on our own, so He sends us with the Holy Spirit to help us stand firm (Mark 13:10-11). God’s strength becomes our strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Fear not His call to serve!

                                                                        Your Brother in Christ,

                                                                        Pastor Jim

Photo by Chris Chow on Unsplash

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Fighting sports – boxing, ultimate fighting, wrestling – aren’t on my list of “things to do or watch.” I must admit – of the fighting sports, wrestling of any kind is lowest on my list. I’m not sure why really, but I think the biggest issue might be the constant contact involved. As I understand wrestling, it’s about grabbing hold of your opponent. Then, while maintaining contact, struggling to maneuver them into a position of submission while you try to avoid being maneuvered into the same. However, this constant contact, demonstrated by wrestling, can be a good metaphor as we endure and overcome struggles in life.

One of the bible’s great stories is about a wrestling match that takes place during the night. Jacob was pretty good at manipulating things to get what he wants through sleight-of-hand … he tried to outduel his twin-brother Esau to be the firstborn (Genesis 25:19-26), then he schemed the firstborn’s birthright away from Esau with a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:28-34), and finally he maneuvered the inheritance away from Esau by tricking his father Isaac (Genesis 27:1-40).

As Jacob was set to face Esau later in life, his trickery met it’s match. God decided it was time to let this man, whom He’d use to fulfill His promise to Abraham, know that he needed to trust more in God for success than his own wits and abilities. God appeared to Jacob in the middle of the night, as a man, for a wrestling match. It seems the night-long match was pretty much a stalemate until God, using His own sleight-of-hand, touched Jacob’s hip and put it out of joint. But Jacob, recognizing his opponent as God, continued gripping God saying, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” As happens often to God’s people, when God bestows a special blessing on them, He also changes their name (e.g. “Abram and Sarai” to “Abraham and Sarah” (Genesis 17:5,15)). God changes Jacob’s name to “Israel” (from “he cheats” to “he who wrestles with God and wins”). By his constant contact with God, struggling with Him in faith, Jacob overcomes God’s wrath and receives His blessing.

Through this example, God shows us the importance of wrestling with Him in faith. We wrestle with Him in a number of ways. First, we have steady contact with Him through regular worship … experiencing His grace in forgiveness as we confess our sin and partaking in Christ’s real presence in Holy Communion. Then, throughout the week, we maintain contact with God whenever we wrestle with His Word in daily devotion and study. Here we learn God’s will for us … a will we don’t always understand or agree with. However, in moments like this, the wrestling continues as we go to Him in prayer, turning to Him in faith. We ask Him to give us understanding of and the strength to do His will, even as we find it impossible on our own. As we struggle, wrestle, and contend with God in all these ways, He strengthens us just as He’s strengthened His faithful people who’ve gone before us in faith. In faith, He enables us to do more than we can ever imagine on our own (Ephesians 3:20).

                                                                        Your Brother in Christ,

                                                                        Pastor Jim

Photo by Jorge Rosal on Unsplash

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The first chapter of Ruth is a classic reading for weddings. It’s a great privilege to, as a pastor, join a man and a woman together in holy matrimony. One of my major points of emphasis as I prepare a couple is … the preparation isn’t really about the wedding day. Rather it’s about being joined together in a lifelong covenantal relationship. When I join together a man and a woman, I make it as obvious as possible that there are actually two sets of vows. In the first, the bride and groom face the altar to make a set of vows to God closing with “Will you honor God and His will for you in this way?” Only then do they face each other and make a set of vows which close saying words to the effect of “until death parts us.” Marriage is a lifelong commitment, wrapped in God’s Word, where a man and a woman start a new family …

Today we often forget that “until death parts us” can apply to the families we marry into also. Modern mobility causes family bonds to loosen. But, in Ruth’s day, and in many places in the world today, these family bonds were critical to a woman’s survival. Widows were among the poorest in society because they rarely had a way to care for themselves. So, when we hear in Ruth 1 how Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah all lost their husbands, we see they were in a bad way. When Naomi’s husband Ebimelech died, she decided to go back to her family in Judah. She also strongly urged her widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, Moabite women, to return to their families to be cared for (Ruth 1:8-14).  After much insistence, Orpah relented and returned. But Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die …” (Ruth 1:16-17) Though Ruth was free to pursue a new husband on her own, she remained part of her new family, staying with her mother-in-law Naomi “until death parts us.”

Ruth was a pagan Moabite, not an Israelite. But through marriage to Naomi’s son, she became part of Naomi’s family. And through Naomi, came to believe in the one true God, becoming part of His family. Ruth trusted God to provide for her and He did. As you read the rest of the short four chapter book of Ruth, you’ll discover that Ruth also became King David’s great-grandmother (Ruth 4:13-22). A little over 1000 years later, another of Ruth’s grandsons was born, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God (Matthew 1:1-17).

Ruth took her vow, “Until death parts us,” seriously. God worked through Ruth to eventually bring our Savior into the world. In our baptism, we too have been made members of His family … we are children of God, brothers and sisters of Christ … and nothing, not even death, can ever separate from this family as we live now in God’s promise of eternal life with Him (Romans 8:38-39).

                                                          Your Brother in Christ,

                                                           Pastor Jim          

Photo by Jean-Pierre Brungs on Unsplash

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Reverend William Shedd is credited with saying, “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” He was telling his listeners that courage is a difficult thing to exhibit. However, to fulfill one’s purpose in the world oftentimes requires courage. Dave Branon, one of the Our Daily Bread devotion series writers, says, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act, even if we are afraid of what might happen when we do.”

Paul wrote at least two letters to his protégé, the young “pastor” Timothy. Paul handpicked Timothy, through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, to lead the fledgling church in Ephesus. Along with the Letter to Titus, these two letters to Timothy are called “The Pastoral Epistles” because, in them, Paul gives his young pastors some practical advice for leading God’s people to courageously live out their new lives in Christ.

Paul begins his 2^nd letter to Timothy by reminding him he has a sincere faith. But that faith came to him because his mother and grandmother were dedicated to carrying it to him in faith. Because of their faithful commitment to God’s calling, young Timothy has been called to carry that same faith to others … as it was carried to him. However, like any gift, for it to be of value, it has to be used. Paul exhorts Timothy, “Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit, not of fear; but, of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7) He urges Timothy to be courageous in using this gift, trusting that God Himself has given him the gift … as well as … the power to use that gift in love and self-control.

In some ways, we and Timothy are like Reverend Shedd’s ship. A ship is created to carry cargo to people in need. And, it needs to carry the cargo regardless of the obstacles in its path. So, its creator gives it special structures to ensure it can withstand the blows high winds and heavy seas will throw its way.

God has created you and I to carry His Word into the world to people who are currently dying in their sin. Through others, the cargo of God’s love and grace, found in His Word, has been carried along in faith to us. And it’s come to us, in many cases, through the heavy weather and rough seas of persecution, mockery, and ignorance which require courage to navigate. God has deposited them into us through His gift of baptism.

Thus gifted by God with forgiveness and eternal life, through others who’ve courageously followed Him in faith, He calls on us to continue carrying His gifts to others in need (2 Timothy 1:8-9). Our Father, has given us the power and love needed to deliver the cargo of His Word when and where it’s needed through our words and deeds, expressed in faith. He’s also promised to protect us, through the Holy Spirit, from the storms and calamities we’ll encounter along the way. Let’s not fear! Let’s courageously share Christ’s love as we boldly proclaim God’s Word in all we say and do.

                                                                        In Christ’s Love,

                                                                        Pastor Jim

Photo by Viraj Karandikar on Unsplash

Dear Saints,

Today we’re pretty accustomed to instant messaging. Key in a text, press send, and away your message goes. It drives us crazy when we need a response and don’t get one back almost instantly. However, there can be any number of reasons for this, including the fact that maybe the response requires the recipient to sort through some details before responding with just the right answer. Time spent in preparation of the correct response is much better than a hastily concocted answer that will be of little help in the long run.

However, it could also be something more serious that delays the response. In one of my devotions, I read about a military courier who carried messages which were vital to the success of military operations, between units. Of course, they would frequently run into delays … for example, losing their way in the darkness, enemy fire, bombed out bridges … but through it all, dedicated couriers strived to complete their critical missions to deliver information to where it was needed.

God has a special set of messengers. They’re called “angels.” God created angels to, among other things, deliver His word to His people in time of need. The word “angel” comes from the Greek word “αγγελος (ahn-gay-los)” which means “messenger.” God’s Word is filled with accounts of His heavenly messengers delivering His promises to His people. In Daniel 10, we hear how the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnational Jesus, shows up to give Daniel hope in the middle of his distress. He’d received a vision of a great conflict and it must’ve been horrific because he mourned and fasted for 21 days (Daniel 10:1-3). He’d been praying for help, but help seemed to be slow arriving. But, even as Daniel waited, the Angel of the Lord told Daniel, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” (Daniel 10:12) During His delay, the Angel had been fighting for Daniel and God’s people in a battle with the evil angel prince of Persia to prepare the battlefield for a much bigger conflict that lay ahead. But He was here in person now to help Daniel get through his current trial and to help him understand what was to come.

Like Daniel, we experience times of doubt and distress. In faith we call on God through prayer to seek His help, guidance, and comfort. At times is may seem no answer is coming. But we can take courage in God’s Word found in Daniel that what may seem to be a delay in the arrival of the Cavalry, is in fact God preparing us for the battle ahead. Even then, as He prepares us, He protects us. This is another duty God’s angels have … protection.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, a gift received in baptism, we cling in faith to God’s promises to hear and answer our prayers, especially when we’re in great need. Even as delays may seem apparent, we also cling in faith to His promises to protect us through His angels throughout our trials … leading us, eventually, into everlasting life.

                                                                        In Christ’s Love,

                                                                        Pastor Jim

Photo by Monica Saavedra on Unsplash

Dear Friends in Christ,

Try as we might, it’s hard not to think of money. Try it. My guess is, unless you’re asleep, it’s hard to go an hour without thinking about it. I was talking to someone the other day about something completely different. However, before too long money came up. In this case a lack of it and how it seemed everything she needed, and didn’t have, required money. Money can and does exert a lot of influence on us – especially considering it’s a lifeless and, often, actually worthless object … after all there isn’t five dollars’ worth of paper and ink on a “five spot” … is there?

Jesus wasn’t much different with respect to how often He talked about money. Bible scholar John MacArthur observed Jesus told around 40 parables … and about a third of them dealt with money in some way. Jesus’ points of emphasis centered on what He knew would be potential pitfalls for His people – including the proper use of money.

One of Jesus’ more confusing parables is the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-13). If one doesn’t understand the context for the story, it seems as though Jesus is condoning dishonesty and using money to get ahead.

In Jesus’ day managers represented their master’s interests to the master’s debtors … often people who leased his fields for a predetermined sum. As such, the debtors trusted that what the manager said came directly from the master himself. In this parable, the master finds out the manager has been mishandling his resources. However, rather than throwing him in jail, the master shows mercy by simply going to let him go. Trusting the master’s mercy, the manager looks to solve his long-term problem by forgiving a portion of each debtors’ bill … hoping they would believe he himself convinced the master to reduce the debt. In this way, the manager used his master’s resources and reputation of mercy to secure his future. The master, true to his merciful character, accepts the new accounting … he also praises the manager for his cleverness in using what the master made available to him … the record of debts and his mercy … to secure his place in the future.

Jesus teaches using a standard Hebrew technique called “from lesser to greater.” Essentially, “If the master shows this mercy to his manager, how much more mercy will God in heaven display to those who have faith in His promises.” Jesus teaches His disciples, including you and me, that our Father in heaven has given us everything we have, including money, to manage on His behalf. He knows we might misuse money on our own selfish desires. Yet, He has mercy … forgiving us. He desires that we use money he’s given us, not only for our own satisfaction, but also to show His love and mercy to others. As we do, they’ll see the same mercy … and come to faith as we have. Letting our use of money be guided by faith, demonstrates our trust in our merciful Father and His promises of forgiveness and eternal life through His Son. This is a purposeful use of the riches God has given to each of us in accord with His will.

                                                                        In Christ’s Love,

                                                                        Pastor Jim