Dear Easter People,

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! …”

There’s a saying, “There are two sides to every coin.” We say this when there’s a situation with two outcomes – one’s good … the other bad. The outcome depends on your point of view. For example, we just went through winter. It was cold, but not extremely so. On one side of the coin, my utility bill wasn’t too high. On the other side, it’ll be a lot “buggier” than I’d like this summer.

In the stories of the Rich Ruler and Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, we see two sides of the coin of wealth and entering the kingdom of God. We learn how to use the gift of wealth received from God, at any level, in His kingdom.

Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem. Along the way, He meets two rich men.

The first is the Rich Ruler. He’s self-assured and confident he’s among the people of God. He’s got blessings aplenty … power, prestige, wealth, and possessions. Plus, he’s a generally good guy. To him, his abundance is a sure sign he’s one of God’s people. To validate his opinion, he asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18) First, Jesus tells him he needs to know, and by extension, do the commandments (Luke 18:20). The Ruler is relieved because he’s done all these things. Then Jesus says, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22) The Ruler has extreme wealth … he went away sad because he couldn’t find it in his heart to trust God enough to let loose of his wealth … the source of his worldly security. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:25)

On the flip side of the same coin is the man Jesus meets further down the road, Zacchaeus the Tax Collector. Zacchaeus is another rich man. But he was far from respected. Yet, he wanted to see Jesus as He approached. Suddenly Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name and tells him He’s coming to his house for dinner. Zacchaeus is so honored by Jesus’ presence immediately repents of his wicked ways saying, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” (Luke 19:8) Jesus let’s everyone know this rich man, who responds to God’s love by generously giving away vast sums of his fortune, has passed through the eye of the needle and entered into the kingdom of God.

As we think about the gifts of wealth God has given us, are we more like the Rich Ruler … holding tight to what we have for fear we won’t have enough? Or, are we more like the forgiven sinner Zacchaeus … recognizing all God has done for us and trusting He’ll continue to do more and then joyfully giving in proportion to how He’s already blessed us? I pray we can all be more like Zacchaeus.

“… HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!”

                                                          In the Love of our Risen Savior,

                                                          Pastor Jim

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Dear Easter People,

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!

We joyfully shout this Easter acclimation on Easter Sunday! And not just then, but every day of our lives. Why? Because even though Easter Sunday is but one day in our 365-day calendar, the Easter celebration lasts for eternity! Jesus died … true enough … scripture details the horrible death. (John 19:33) Jesus was buried … true enough … Joseph of Arimathea made sure His body was properly honored. (John 19:38-42) Jesus rose to new life three days later … true enough … over 500 people, including Jesus’ closest disciples attest to this fact. (1 Corinthians 15:5-8) They recorded it for us to hear each year so “(We) may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing (we) may have life in His name.” (John 20:31) But we may forget this equally important fact … JESUS … IS … ALIVE! Today He His Word helps us remember … He is still alive and present with us.  “ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!”

We shout because His resurrection gives us hope … not only in this world, but in the world to come. This hope is founded on the sure and certain truth that Jesus, the Son of God who was also born of a woman is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20) Paul reminds us why this is so important. It was a man, Adam, who brought sin into the world; therefore, bringing also death … eternal separation from God.  But this isn’t what God intended when He created us and it’s not what He desires. God desires to be with His creation, to dwell alongside it, to have it be in His presence … just like it was before the Fall of Man (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:8).

Therefore, just as it was a man who brought sin and death into the world … it must be a man who paid the ultimate price through a sacrificial death to relieve creation of the burden of sin. Since only God is perfect, it required a God-man to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a man, just like you and me in all things … except sin … to remove the stain of sin from creation.

By the man Adam, all die. By the God-man, Jesus Christ, all are made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). Christ, the perfect man, rose from the dead to new life. In this single act, He proved He is who He said He is … God. He proves what He says to us is the ultimate truth. So, when He says He forgives our sins … they are forgiven … no matter how bad we might think they are!  When He says He will return to judge the living and the dead … He will return to do just that.  When He says He will raise those who believe in Him to new, eternal life … we will do just that too. We believe His word … so we shout today and every day,

“ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!”

                                                               In the Love of our Risen Savior,

                                                               Pastor Jim

Photo by Tiago Aguiar on Unsplash

Dear Followers in Faith,

When I was a kid growing up in Tucson, my parents owned a rental car company. One of the things I dreaded most about this was the “one-way rental” to Phoenix. Why? Because this meant we’d have to drive the seemingly eternal distance from Tucson to Phoenix … and back … to pick up the car and bring it back. In the days before cell phones, in-car DVD players, and even tape decks, the 110-mile trip across the desert, seemed to be forever and day!

This Lent we’ve been remembering what God does for us and to us.  And today, Passion Sunday, we remember … the distance Jesus went to fulfill His Father’s loving desire to redeem His creation. How far did Jesus travel? It’s a distance not measured in miles. It’s the distance from glory to shame & agony and back to glory. Jesus, “who, though He was in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6) and had all the glory being God implies gave up all of it to become a servant, “born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:7) He reached down from where He lived in the presence of angels singing His praises daily … to the place where people mocked Him, beat Him, and shouted “Crucify, crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21)

Even though He was all-powerful, He submitted Himself to earthly authorities. He carried His cross from the palace … through the twisted streets past hostile crowds … to the top of Mount Calvary. Then, “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) He could’ve used His almighty powers to heed the taunts of those who said, “Let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God,” (Luke 23:35) and “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39) But, instead, He endured suffering to deliver all of creation from bondage to sin. And then rising to new life on the third day, just as He said He would (Luke 9: 22, 9:44, and 18:33), He defeated the power of death – He reached down to give eternal life to all who confess their belief in Him and His work.

Then, mission accomplished through His humble death and glorious resurrection, Jesus returned back to His Father in heaven. There, His Father “highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name.” (Philippians 2:9) What’s more, Jesus was restored to His rightful place of glory so that “every knee should bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10-11) The roundtrip has been made. Because of that, God casts the sins of all who believe in His promise of forgiveness, on account of Jesus’ journey, “as far (away from us) as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12)

We remember, not just this Lent, but every day, how far God was willing to go to bring us into His presence once again. He was willing to go the distance … from the glory of heaven to suffering, death, and resurrection on earth and back to the glory of heaven. Thanks be to God for His infinite grace and mercy!

                                                               In His Love,

                                                               Pastor Jim

Photo by Maja Petric on Unsplash

Dear Followers in Faith,

There’s a saying that “possession is 9/10^ths of the law.” The famous Hatfield and McCoy feud from the 1800s is based in part on this saying. Though other circumstances were involved, a key part in the feud centered around a pig Floyd Hatfield had which Randolph McCoy claimed was his. In court, the Hatfield’s relative, “Preacher Anse” Hatfield ruled the hog belonged to those who possessed it, the Hatfield family. From the world’s perspective, “possession might be 9/10^ths of the law.” But, we should remember the source of all we have … God. All we have is really His.

After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus tells the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. In the story, a man hires some people to work his land while he’s away. The tenants began to feel they “possessed” the land because they worked it daily. They grew to assume they owned the land and all the land produced. The problem … they didn’t. When the landowner sent people to collect some … not all … of the produce, they objected and sent away, beat, and even wounded his servants who tried to collect some of the produce from the vineyard. Finally, the landowner sent his son. He figured the tenants would honor the son and provide him with a portion of the produce. Of course, they didn’t. Instead, figuring that if they killed the son, the land would become theirs when the landowner died since nobody could inherit it … “possession is 9/10^ths of the law.”

A key to understanding any parable Jesus tells, is who He’s talking to. In this case, He’s talking to the people in the presence of the temple’s chief priests, scribes, elders. For centuries these temple leaders and their relatives ruled over the religious life of Israel. They had grown comfortable with their power and prestige. However, they forgot that the temple and the people weren’t theirs … they were God’s. God had placed them in charge of these things in order that they would serve Him and His people – not themselves. He intended that they would teach people about Himself and His Word so they would fear, love, and trust Him in all things. However, they didn’t. They served only themselves. So, God sent prophets, His servants, to get them to correct their ways. They still didn’t. Finally, God sent His Son Jesus. Jesus foretold what would happen in just a few short days … He would be killed by the tenants His Father placed in charge of His people. He also foretold what would happen to “the vineyard” in 70 A.D. when Rome would destroy the temple, the center of the Jewish nation. Then God would give the vineyard of His people to others … those who believe in His Son Jesus – His Words, His work of salvation on the Cross, and His resurrection.

We remember … the world is God’s vineyard, not ours. As His children, He’s left us in charge of it. God calls us to follow Him in faith to produce fruit for Him, using the gifts He’s God has given us, by bringing more people to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. We remember – we live in God’s creation, but He owns it.

                                                                                        In His Love,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

Photo by Joren Goessens on Unsplash

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I remember my first car … a 1966 Ford Mustang.  I saved money from years of yard work, pool cleaning, and babysitting. When I had enough, it was mine. It wasn’t much to see, but at its heart was a 289 cubic-inch V-8 powerhouse. Believe me, there was a lot of life in that engine. Probably too much for a new driver. One day day though, as I drove it, the engine started smoking and it flat quit. Good news is, I’d saved more money. So, I towed my car to the garage where a mechanic rebuilt the engine … restoring it to like new condition.

This memory brings to mind how God works in our lives. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul encourages Christ’s church in Corinth and His church today, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) As human beings, born with human nature inherited from our first father and mother – Adam and Eve, we are sinful. Our hearts, the source of love within us, become clogged with filthy sin – causing our spirit to decline and die over time. Much like my old Mustang, due to sin, the engine of love within us falls apart and stops working as God intended. God never created us to live with hearts broken by sin. He created us to have whole hearts capable of loving, selfless service in His creation.

Like my Mustang, our hearts cannot repair themselves. My Mustang required me and a mechanic to step in to restore its engine to new life. And together we did. When it came out of the shop, my ’66 ‘Stang ran like new again. Paul reminds us of the one person who can restore our hearts. He reminds us to remember … remember God’s mercy. In His mercy, He alone can restore our hearts to better than new condition. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He reconciles … restores … our hearts to His originally intended condition. He restores our hearts to be capable of selflessly loving Him and those around us.  Through Jesus’ sacrificial and loving death on the cross, our Father mercifully forgives the sin that continually seeks to clog our hearts … keeping them from loving as He intended. Paul writes, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself … in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

But God doesn’t stop there. He reconciles us for a purpose. Paul reminds of God’s purpose, “(He is) entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (Making us) ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) In this Lent to Remember, we remember God’s mercy so we can help others, by the power of the Holy Spirit, discover and remember that same mercy! Jesus didn’t come to restore a select few. He came to save the entire world (2 Corinthians 5:19). He’s called us to be His ambassadors, His representatives, to that world … proclaiming His good news of reconciliation to all continuing to live in darkness so they too can be restored to better than new condition.

                                                                                        In His Love,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

Photo by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash

Dear First Family and Friends,

Patience … it’s a virtue.  Says so right there in Colossians 3:12-13, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones … patience, bearing with one another …” Yet patience is hard to come by. In our “instant world” of on-line access we can see any movie, hear any song, gather any information instantly.  And if I have to wait even 5 seconds for the “hour glass” to spin … GRRRR! The world seems to have taught us patience is useless. This Lent, a Lent to Remember, God helps us remember through His Word … and we remember – in His grace, mercy and love – God hasn’t forgotten patience.

Jesus helps us to remember just how patient God is with His people … you and me included. As He often does, He uses a visual image to help us remember – a fig tree. Why would a farmer plant a fig tree? To bear figs. However, like any fruit tree, it must first mature. The farmer seems to have forgotten this concept saying, “I’ve had this tree for three years … and nothing! No fruit! Cut it down!” (Luke 13:7 (paraphrase)) This guy might not be a very good farmer as he’s forgotten most fig trees can take up to six years to produce fruit.[1] In addition, it’s possible that even a mature tree won’t produce fruit if it’s not properly nourished. Fortunately for this poor tree, the vinedresser knows his fig trees and urges the farmer to hold off until he’s had time to nourish and tend the unfruitful fig tree (Luke 13:8-9).

God is patient with His people. You and I are works in progress. He’s called us His own children in baptism … giving us faith. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. He’s done this so we produce fruit in His kingdom. Yet, we often don’t remember this as we head off on our journeys. However, through His Son, Jesus Christ, God patiently remembers us … and His promises to us. He patiently works at us through His Word and Sacraments … He nourishes and strengthens our faith. He patiently cultivates the ground of our souls so that … slowly but surely, we begin to bear the fruits of faith in our lives.

By right, our Creator could certainly ignore us and cut us down for our failure to bear fruit in His creation. But our Creator loves and cares for all of us. He sent His own Son to patiently teach us … to suffer and slowly die on a cross as payment for our sins … to eventually, three days later, rise from the dead to defeat the effects of sin and death. And one day, He will return to judge the living and the dead and bring all who believe into His eternal kingdom … while condemning all who don’t believe to the fires of eternal death. He could return any day … but He’s also patient. He says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live …” (Ezekiel 33:11) Let us remember … God’s patience … and give thanks to Him for His infinite mercy and grace toward us and all mankind.

                                                                                        In His Love,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

Photo by Picsea on Unsplash

Dear First Family and Friends,

Have you ever experienced being “the messenger?” It’s great to be asked to deliver “good news.” But how about being the bearer of bad news … or hard news? In my Air Force career, I received a lot of good news. But one day, I got called into the General’s office to hear bad news. “Jim, I have some bad news. You didn’t get selected for promotion.” It wasn’t the General’s fault. He was just the messenger. I really feel for people like doctors who need to tell patients they have a serious illness … or lawyers who have to tell people their case is hopeless … or friends who have to tell friends they’re making a huge mistake. In these cases, I’m reminded of the old saying, “Don’t shoot me! I’m just the messenger.”

Jeremiah was just the messenger. But what He had to say didn’t please the religious and political elites of Judah. They heard Jeremiah’s words, but didn’t listen because they didn’t like what he had to say. They rejected his message from God in the harshest terms possible, “You shall die!” (Jeremiah 26:8) If anyone could’ve said, “Don’t shoot me! I’m just the messenger,” it’s Jeremiah and the rest of God’s prophets.  Jeremiah told those threatening him, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. Now mend your ways ...” (Jeremiah 26:12-13) The people he spoke to weren’t acting as God commanded. But rather than destroy them, God, in His love and mercy, sent His prophet Jeremiah to warn them, “Obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that He has pronounced against you.” (Jeremiah 26:13) Nevertheless, the priests, false prophets, and officials of Judah all turned their backs on God’s prophet.

Centuries later, Jesus returned to Jerusalem, the place where many of God’s prophets were killed for being “the messenger.” Jesus reminds us of the Father’s love. It’s a love that caused Him to put His word in the mouths of prophets to warn Israel and Judah of their sin. It’s a love that caused Him to send His Son, Jesus, to do the same and more. God wants the world to remember His love. “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that all who would believe in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God doesn’t want any of His creatures to die.

This Lent we remember all God has done for us out of love.  Why has He gone to such great lengths – sending His prophets … sending His Son … sending His church – into the world to proclaim His love for all to hear? Because He loves His creation. He desires for His creation to return to Him … to believe His Word and promise … to receive His mercy and grace … to find protection against the devil and his lies in Him. This Lent, I pray you can spend a little extra time listening to God’s messengers. As you do, I pray you find protection in remembering God’s love for you … expressed through the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

                                                                                        In His Love,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim