Recently, my oldest son has been learning about storytelling.  He has been learning that every story has order.  Each story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Both in school and out of school, he is given assignments to help him understand and process the flow of a narrative.

One homework assignment from this week asked him to look at 3 pictures and decide on the proper ordering of those pictures that would make sense.  After he figured out how the 3 pictures properly told the story, he then had to paste the words, first, next, and last, under the corresponding drawing.

Another assignment, this time an in-class assignment that he completed during school hours and then brought home to show us, had 3 empty boxes on the page.  Each box had a word printed underneath it.  The words, in this order, were, first, next, and last.  My son had to develop and write his own original story by drawing pictures in each of the blank boxes.

My son is learning is that storytelling is important.

Albert Mohler, who currently serves as the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and who has been called, “the reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S.,” has this to say about storytelling,

“Literary critics often point out that trouble lies at the heart of a good story.  Something needs to happen—some problem needs to be solved, someone needs rescue, a battle must be fought.  The story has power because it tells us how the trouble was resolved, how the child was saved, how the battle was won.  We read books and watch movies largely in order to lose ourselves in someone else’s story.”[1]

Albert Mohler is telling us that storytelling is important.

With similar understanding of storytelling, Eugene Petersen, American pastor, scholar, author, and poet who has written over thirty books, reminds us that,

“First, there is a beginning and an ending.  All stories take place in time and are bounded by a past and a future.

Second, a catastrophe has occurred.  We are, in other words, in the middle of a mess.

Third, salvation is plotted…a plan develops to get us out of the trouble we are in…

Fourth, characters develop.

Fifth, everything has significance…Every word connects with every other word in the author’s mind, and so every detail, regardless of how it strikes us at first, belongs – and can be seen to belong if only we look long enough at it.”[2]

Eugene Petersen is reminding us that storytelling is important.

Have you ever thought,

“I am a nobody,”

“Nobody cares about me,”

“I am not important,”

“My life doesn’t matter,”

“My story doesn’t matter.”

Well, God disagrees with each of those statements.  God fully believes that your story is important.

And, God fully believed that the apostle Paul’s story was important as well.

In fact, Paul’s story is so important, that we have it written down in God’s Word, the Bible, for us and countless other generations to read and hear.

Here is Paul’s story from Galatians 1.10-24 (my paraphrase):

I serve God, not man.  I am a God pleaser, not a people pleaser.

 The good news that I share with you is not man’s version of good news.

No man taught me what I have shared and will continue to share.  Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, taught me the good news that I have shared and will continue to share with you.

You know my past.  I used to cause trouble for those who believed in Jesus in an attempt to destroy the Christian Church.  Through those actions and many more, I was quickly climbing to the top of the Jewish ladder.

But, when God, who chose me and called me to come to Himself only through His grace, happily came to me and made His love and mercy known to me through Jesus’ presence and words, my life was completely changed.  I now found it to be my responsibility to share the good news of the forgiveness of Sin, rescue from evil, and eternal life in Heaven, with those who did not yet know this good news.

When this change happened, and I found myself believing in Jesus as my Savior, I did not go to other men to see if what I believed was true because God spoke it to me personally in the flesh of Jesus.  Neither did I go to the apostles who had previously worked with Jesus.  In fact, I went away for a couple of years.

 After 3 years away, I spent 15 days in Jerusalem with Peter and Jesus’ brother James.  That was it.  I did not see anyone else. (With God as my witness, this is true. It is no lie!)

Next, I traveled to Syria and Cilicia for a while.

 At this point, no one in the Christian churches knew who I was by sight for we had never met.  However, the story of how God, through Jesus, changed my life had made it to their ears.  They heard that I, who used to live my life focused on destroying God’s Church, was now living my life to build God’s Church.

 When they heard the good news of Jesus Christ changing someone like me, forgiving someone like me, rescuing someone like me from evil, and giving someone like me a place in Heaven, they could not help but thank God, love God, praise God, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with others themselves.   (PFV [Pastor Fred Version])

Paul’s story is important.

Paul’s autobiographical story had a beginning.

Paul’s personal experience had a middle – where he found himself in the middle of a mess and salvation was plotted for him.

Paul’s memoir had an end.

Paul was born a Hebrew.  He was raised and trained in that tradition. He lived each day of his life awaiting a Savior, someone who would right all of the wrongs in the world and lead him into the kingdom of Heaven.  However, he denied God’s Savior, Jesus Christ, when Jesus was sent as a gift to the world.  Not only did Paul deny God’s Savior, he also focused his attention on killing those who believed in Jesus, in an attempt to fully destroy the Christian Church.

Paul’s character changed dramatically, a complete 180 degree turn, in fact, from one who used to live his life focused on destroying God’s Church to one who now lived his life to build God’s Church.

This happened when God intervened and met Paul personally, through Jesus Christ.  In that encounter, Jesus confronted Paul in his sin and spoke to him the good news of the God’s love that forgave him and rescued him from the path of personal destruction and separation from God that he was on.

The Bible does not tell us when or how Paul died.

However, a handful of historians recorded Paul’s death and cited government sponsored decapitation as punishment for his preaching and teaching about Jesus.

The one thing about Paul’s death that we can be certain about is that it was a glorious moment for him as he who once persecuted God’s earthly church was welcomed into God’s eternal Church in Heaven through his faith in Jesus’ death which forgave him of his Sin.

That is why Paul wrote these words to the Church gathered in the city of Philippi,

“For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1.21)

For Paul, death, was the end of struggle, pain, tears, rejection, and suffering.  It was also the beginning of the life that God had planned for him—a life that never ends, never fades, never hurts, all in the presence of the One who created him, forgave him of his sin, and rescued him from evil.

Your story has sections labeled, first, next, and last. Or, in other words, beginning, middle, end.

The beginning of your story is labeled, “I was.”

The middle of your story is labeled, “God intervened.”

The end of your story is labeled, “I am.”

When the apostle Paul writes a letter to the church located in Colasse, he tells your story.

At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, and the evil things you did were against God. But now God has made you his friends again. He did this through Christ’s death in the body so that he might bring you into God’s presence as people who are holy, with no wrong, and with nothing of which God can judge you guilty. (Colossians 1.21-22, NCV)

United with Jesus Christ through faith, your character changes dramatically, a complete 180 degree turn, in fact, you move from one who used to live your life denying Jesus’ work on the cross and spends your time trying to earn God’s love to one who now rests in Christ work on the cross to forgive you of sin and rescue you from evil.

Why is Paul’s story important?

Paul’s personal story was important because it told the good news of God’s love, God’s grace, and God’s mercy in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Paul was a sinner.

God intervened to save Paul through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Paul is now a saint.  He is one called perfect in every way before the throne of God in Heaven.

Why is my personal story important?

My personal story is important because it tells the good news of God’s love, God’s grace, and God’s mercy in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

I was a sinner.

God intervened having Jesus live the perfect life that I cannot live, die on the cross to take the punishment for my imperfect life, and walk out of the grave resurrected from the dead to defeat the power of sin and death for me.

I am now a saint.  Through faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for me, God calls me perfect in every way, yesterday, today, and forever.

Why is your personal story important?

Your personal story is important it tells the good news of God’s love, God’s grace, and God’s mercy in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

You were a sinner.

God intervened having Jesus live the perfect life that I cannot live, die on the cross to take the punishment for my imperfect life, and walk out of the grave resurrected from the dead to defeat the power of sin and death for you.

You are now a saint.  Through faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for me, God calls you perfect in every way, yesterday, today, and forever.

This morning, I want to tell you that,

You are somebody!

You are cared about!

You are important!

Your life matters!

Your story matters!

Go and tell the world that Jesus lives through your own story focused on Jesus’ story.

Prayer: God, the Author of life, thank you for Paul’s story.  Help us to tell our own story this week focused and centered on Jesus’ story.

[1] Albert Mohler, The Conviction to Lead, 38

[2] Eugene H. Peterson. Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity (Kindle Locations 1178-1179). Kindle Edition.

I write to you this morning as a very broken man.

There is not much left of me emotionally physically, or spiritually.

On Saturday, I was asked to officiate and preach at the funeral of a 26-year-old young man who was a good friend.

For the past 13 years, Jonathan’s body was plagued and ravaged by Intracranial Hypertension, an illness that brought him through 70+ surgeries over those years.

Jonathan’s father, a pastor in Staten Island, asked me to let him rest during his time of loss, grieving, and mourning, by taking over his church and the pulpit as we remembered who his son was, but more importantly who Jesus is.

I first met Jonathan when I was a volunteer youth leader at our sister church in Staten Island. At that time his family had moved to the island because Jonathan’s father excepted a call to lead a congregation not far from the church that I serving. Upon arrival to the neighborhood, Jonathan’s parents sought out our congregation to care for and love their four children.

As the years went by and I parted ways with Jonathan and his family to accept a call out here to Huntington, our relationship remained strong because of our shared issues with illness–his Intracranial Hypertension and my cancer.

The geographical distance didn’t stop us from meeting and texting each other. Our relationship became a point of refuge where we could speak and share thoughts and words with each other that we would never share with our family or friends.

The Baldini family has given me permission to share the sermon I preached at Jonathan’s funeral with you today.

——————–

We are gathered this morning in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit Amen.

Family and friends,

I am here with you on this day to share your loss as best as I can, but more than that, I am here with you to hear what Jesus has to say about life, and death, and resurrection.

In a recent conversation I had with Jonathan, talk of the latest superhero movies and what comedies we were currently watching and re-watching on Netflix eventually dissolved, as it always did, into talk about our shared hardships due to illness.

When we got to the place of discussing the specifics of pain, suffering, life and death, Jonathan questioned me saying,

“When you had cancer, did you ever think about dying?”

My response was a quick and easy, “Yes.”

Jonathan then proceeded to tell me that he wasn’t afraid to die because He knew God’s love would take care of him.

But, when he thought about his own death, the only thing he worried about was leaving his family behind because he knew they would experience great sadness and deep suffering once he left them.

In Jonathan’s last moments with us, he was deeply concerned for your welfare and he had a Christ like love for you.

The account of Jesus pain, suffering, and death is told to us by the Gospel writer John with these words:

So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

 “They divided my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.”

 So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus was not afraid to die. He knew His death would forgive the sins of many.

But, one thing Jesus worried about from the cross was leaving his family and friends behind because they would experience great sadness and deep suffering once he left them.

The text tells us that

“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, [he is now] your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “[Friend, she is now] your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19)

Deeply concerned for His mother’s welfare, Jesus entrusted Mary to a disciple’s care.

Even in the dark moments of pain, suffering, the light of the love of God shone brightly through Jesus onto Mary, His mother who was suffering from watching the brutal and humiliating death of her son.

Even while dying on the cross, Jesus has compassion on the ones who were grieving and mourning the loss of a loved one and makes sure they will be properly cared for after his death.

Jesus is deeply concerned for you.

In fact, he is so concerned for your eternal well being that he was crucified on a cross to provide the forgiveness of sins that you need in order to brought back into a right relationship with God.

From the cross, Jesus, God in the flesh, the Creator of all that exists, looks down and has compassion on you, who in this world are daily struggling to keep your life together in the face of challenges.

First, Jesus’ compassion has made sure you will be properly cared for through forgiving your sins and gifting you eternal life.

Secondly, just as Jesus’ compassion led him to take care of his mother and friends by entrusting them into the care of each other, Jesus will also continue to make sure you are properly cared for, here and now, through entrusting you into the care of your brothers and sisters in the church body.

This is a time of great sadness and deep suffering because Jonathan has left us.

In Jesus’s last moments with us, he was deeply concerned for your welfare and loved you with an eternal and never changing love.

A friend of mine recently introduced me to a song penned by the modern wordsmith and artist Wiz Kalifa. The lyrics to the chorus go like this:

It’s been a long day without you, my friend

And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again

We’ve come a long way from where we began

Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again

When I see you again

Because of Jesus, we will see Jonathan again.

“Have you thought about dying?”

I know your response is quick and easy, “Yes.”

Know that in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God’s love has and will take care of you.

Go forth today and take care of one another, as Jonathan and you have already been taken care of by Jesus.

Amen.

Pastor Fred

September 11, 2017

What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

–Romans 8.31–

“As if it weren’t enough that a monumental solar eclipse is one week away, the world is abuzz with ominous predictions of a looming nuclear war with North Korea. None of us might live to unwrap our Christmas presents this year. We might all be blown to smithereens. We might all die in nasty, horrible ways. The world might end in one gigantic kaboom.

What in God’s name are we to do?

Me—I’m gonna make breakfast.”

These words, shared yesterday, by one of my favorite current Christian authors, Chad Bird, offers a parallel statement to what was said many years ago by the British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, when he gave this advice at the height of the Cold War,

“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.” (“On Living in an Atomic Age”)

Who is against you?

Others are against you.

As we have been seeing on the news, there is a dictator that says, “Your life is worthless, and I have a missile with your name on it!”

How about a few examples of people often against you from a little closer to home?

• A husband that says, “You don’t meet my needs in this marriage!”
• A wife that says, “You don’t provide me with everything I want in this relationship!”
• A child that says, “I don’t like you and I am not going to do what you say!”
• A parent that says, “You have let me down with your lack of achievement.”
• A boss that says, “You have failed at the tasks I gave you and you have no value here!”
• A teacher that says, “You’re best work isn’t good enough!”
• A student that says, “You need to give me the grade that I want, I don’t care what I deserve!”
• A pastor that says, “You have no worth to God, me, or this church, unless you serve more, pray more, and give more.”

Who else is against you?

You are against you.

You are against you, with an inner and outer dialogue that speaks,

• “I am a failure as a husband and father.”
• “My roles as a wife and a mother leave much to be desired.”
• “I will never be successful.”
• “I will never look like those fashion models.”
• “I will never look like those guys working out at Muscle Beach.”
• “I will never make enough money.”
• “I can’t provide everything the people around me want.”
• “Life is meaningless and it is all going to end soon anyway.”

We live day-to-day in a world that seems to be easily against us, against all we think, against all we say, against all we do, and against all we believe.

Even though it is true that others are often against us, we are equally guilty of being against others in our daily life.

We are against our spouses when we act entitled and expect them to work for us, when we withhold the truth from them, and when we refuse to partner with them in the tasks related to family management.

We are against our kids when we ungraciously exasperate them with an abundance of rules, yelling, and strict punishment for the slightest misstep at home.

We are against our parents when we grumble against and disobey their rules that are set in place for our safety.

We are against our bosses when we do not do our best work every second of every day.

We are against our teachers when we do less than our best work but expect them to grade us as if we did our best work.

We are against our communities when we act entitled believing that one skin color is better than another.

We are against our churches when we expect to be treated with favoritism because of our last name, number of years attending, or amount of money donated.

When you examine the landscape of your life, including the lying, the cheating, the stealing, the sneaking, the hiding, the gossiping, the withholding of love from others, and the entitled attitudes, it is amazing to hear of a love so strong and focused that the Giver of that love will still say every moment of everyday, even in the midst of your failings, that He is for you!

We sing a song that says, “On the cross where Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” (In Christ Alone)

The cross of Jesus Christ clearly shows you that God is for you!

God’s love for you is so great that He gave His Son to die to forgive your sin of being against Him and against others.

By nature, you live against God and against others.

By grace, Jesus lived for God and for others, for you.

By faith, Jesus’ perfect life of obedience and love is credited to you before the throne of God in Heaven.

Even though others are against you and you are often against God and others, God, your Creator, is always for you who find yourself believing in Jesus Christ!

With God always acting for you, you do not have to fear ultimate destruction. The work that Jesus Christ did in life, on the cross, and at the tomb, secures for you an eternally safe place in the loving arms of your Creator in Heaven. You may face extreme circumstances in this world, but, right now, you have place being prepared for you in God’s Kingdom defined by the absence of tears, pain, and suffering.

One of the songs that the kids learned at our Fun Maker Factory Vacation Bible School this year, spoke the truth of God’s sovereignty, or in other words, God’s ultimate control of all things, with lyrics proclaiming, “He’s got the whole world in his hands….”

The love of God for you, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, in Jesus’ life, in Jesus’ death, and in Jesus’ resurrection, is your confidence when the world seems to hang on the brink of self-destruction.

The truth is that a monumental solar eclipse is one week away, and the world is abuzz with ominous predictions of a looming nuclear war with North Korea.

Therefore, you might not live to unwrap your Christmas presents this year.

However, you will never see God, our Father in Heaven, break out in a cold sweat over Kim Jong-Un, solar eclipses, demanding spouses, disobedient children, unfair bosses, or unjust teachers.

Do not let fear dominate your mind.

Find rest with God who is for you!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8.35-39)

God is for you.

Today, be for others as God is first for you!

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

August 13, 2017

For I am not aware of anything against myself,

but I am not thereby acquitted.

It is the Lord who judges me.

–1 Corinthians 4.4–

A few years ago, I read the testimony of a pastor and theologian, who, for the record, I am at odds with when it comes to her Biblical interpretation and practical theology. However, the one thing that struck me from this person’s testimony was how she found herself believing in Jesus Christ as her Savior.

The individual, now testifying to God’s grace and mercy, had a background of addiction and abuse. One Sunday, a friend invited her to attend the weekly service at a Lutheran church. After participating in the events of a regular church service (i.e. singing, confession, absolution, listening to a sermon, communion, etc.), she asked the friend who invited her, “If I come back next week, will I do those same things, say those same things, have those same things said to me?” When her friend responded, “Yes!” the newly believing woman proclaimed, “Great! Because I need to say and hear those same things every day!”

Throughout my many years of ministry, I have heard a wide range of comments pertaining to the liturgy used during the divine weekly Sunday morning service.

Some have said, “If we serve communion too often, it will just become a dead ritual and won’t mean anything anymore.”

While others have chimed in, “Confessing our sins together with the same words every week makes our confession dull and meaningless.”

Pastors are not some superhuman creation. So, I often find myself in the same place as those making such comments. I can end up doing and saying things week after week without having my heart fully involved in God’s gracious speaking and acting in both my life and the life of the congregation I serve.

Statements and thoughts such as these, that show a disdain for doing the same things over and over throughout a life of faith, also show us clearly the filth of the human heart. When we find ourselves producing such sentiments whether internally or externally, we are denying some of the means of grace that God has put in place in order to do His work in our lives and in the world.

The means of grace are the ways God offers, bestows, and seals to people forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The means of grace are God’s Word and the Sacraments, namely, Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Concordia Publishing House. Lutheranism 101: Second Edition, Kindle Locations 2082-2086).

When we think that communion can be done too often and that confession is useless when the same words are used to recognize sin and ask for forgiveness, we are tempted to replace truth with entertainment and gratitude with judgment.

It is the sinful heart that says there is such a thing as too much communion, too much of Jesus’ blood and body, or too much forgiveness. It is a sinful heart that puts us in a place of saying I don’t need this prayer anymore or I don’t need to confess again.

A heart that says I don’t want to do the same things week after week is a heart that is saying, “I no longer need Jesus.”

The moment when your heart becomes hard and you no longer recognize your need to be united to the body and blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins is actually the same exact moment you need to come to the table of communion and are be met by God’s amazing saving grace.

The moment when your heart has gone numb to your disobedience to God and you no longer recognize your need for confession is actually the same exact moment that you need to confess your sin of lying to and about God (1 John 1.8).

Communion and confession always have meaning. Our always-changing feelings about communion and confession cannot negate God’s unchangeable promises.

Jesus commands us to confess our sins and come to the table of communion (Luke 22.14-23; Mark 1.15) with God promising to actively work in the lives of those who obey Christ’s words (Matthew 11.28; 1 John 1.9).

I am a saint in God’s eyes because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that covers me and has become mine through faith.

But, I am still a sinner in the flesh and bones of this body here on earth.

That being said, confessing my sins, having my sins absolved in the name of Jesus, and receiving the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, week after week after week, is an integral part of my Christian life.

There never comes a point in the body that you currently inhabit at which you are no longer a sinner/saint. Because of that, you need to continually confess your sins publicly, as God’s church, and privately, in prayer, to God. You also need to continually hear of the promised forgiveness that is yours through faith in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

The apostle Paul addresses all of this when he writes to the Christians in Rome saying,

“I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:21-24).”

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

August 11, 2017

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

–Ephesians 6.10-20–

When my oldest son gets ready for trick or treating on Halloween (Yes, we allow our children to dress up, have fun with their imaginations, and collect candy from neighbors, without fear that they will grow up to bow down to the evils forces of the world and sacrifice infants on an altar dedicated to Satan), something in his brain is triggered that makes his imagination run wild.

He becomes convinced that he is actually the character the costume depicts. One of his favorite outfits and constant go-tos over the years has been Iron Man.

With each piece of Iron Man’s armor that my son puts onto his body, he is truly believing that he is suiting up to join his teammates in the Avengers to participate in an intergalactic battle between the forces of good and evil.

When he is dressed up as Iron Man, wearing his full suit of armor, my son believes that he is unstoppable, that he is able to stand up to every and any bad guy or destructive force that he encounters while out in the world.

Most of us begin our day with the same excitement and gusto as a child on Halloween.

We get out of bed, grab a cup (or pot) of coffee, take a shower, pick out an outfit (costume) and get dressed, fully believing that we are unstoppable and able to stand strong against every thought, word, and deed from every person and place that we will encounter during our waking hours.

However, as the day goes on and we come up against,

• whiny, cranky, and always demanding kids
• whiny, cranky, and demanding spouses
• whiny, cranky, and demanding bosses
• images that tell you that you are not thin enough
• images that tell you that you are not muscular enough
• the lies that tell you to work harder, put in more hours, in order to collect more earthly possessions
• feelings and thoughts that tell you that you are not good enough
• feelings and thoughts that tell you that you are not lovable
• feelings and thought that tell you that you are not valuable

we come to a place of realizing that we are not as ready as we thought we were to face the day we have been given.

A new record that I have been listening to on repeat recently, has the following lyrical advice,

What are you waiting for?

You gotta get yourself alright!

(Rex Brown, Get Yourself Alright, 2017)

Sayings, such as those found melodically offered up here, are common advice that we will hear throughout our days on earth.

You are told that you are on your own and that in your power you have to get yourself ready to face the world and the challenges it will offer up.

However, the truth of the matter is that when left alone to get ready for the day, you are not properly dressed to face the many battles that will come your way during your waking hours.

The good news is that you are not alone.

The good news is that God, the Creator of all that exists, gives you the outfit you need to face the day and that He helps you put it on.

When God stepped into the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, He suited up to participate in a spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil.

When Jesus wore the armor of God and wielded the sword of truth, the Word of God, the Bible, He was unstoppable and He was able to stand up to every and any scheme of the evil one that he encountered while out and about in the physical world.

Being protected by God’s armor, Jesus stood firm in the face of danger and defeated the power of sin and death that could separate you from God forever.

Through faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God puts His own armor on you, getting you ready for the day.

The same armor that Jesus Christ wore in life, in death, and in the resurrection, is the exact protective gear that God dresses you with on a daily basis.

With God’s armor on, you are unstoppable, you able to stand up to every and any scheme and destructive force that you encounter while out in the world.

That is God’s promise to you.

You will be comforted by God’s truth in the face of lies.

You will be discerning when it comes to right and wrong.

You will bend toward the will of God and not away from it.

You will never be destroyed.

In the end, on the last day, God will look at you and not judge you based on your own life, but God will look at you and judge you based on Jesus’ perfect life lived for you.

In Christ, you have the strength of God.

In Christ, you can stand up against the lies, the lies that you whisper to yourself internally and the lies that others speak at you and about you externally.

In Christ, you can be confident that God speaks to you through His Word, the Bible, and that God hears you and answers you when you pray.

In Christ, and only in Christ, can you live every second of everyday with hope—a hope that you are the recipient of God’s promise, to protect you and provide for you until your last breath on earth and then eternally after that.

Stand confident today.

No matter what comes your way.

No matter how you are treated.

No matter what is said about you.

No matter what is given to you or taken from you.

No matter what you are thinking about yourself.

Without Christ, you are not ready for the day.

In Christ, you are fully dressed for battle.

I want to leave you with the lyrics to another song, a song that reminds you of your weakness but of Jesus’ strength for you,

“The arm of flesh will fail you,

Ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the Gospel armor;

Each piece put on with prayer.

Where duty calls or danger,

Be never wanting there.”

(Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, LSB 660: 3)

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

August 6, 2017

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and a buckler.

–Psalm 91.4—

Many years ago, when I was a wee little lad, probably around the age of 6 or 7, I went on a road trip with my Grandmother. We drove from New York down to South Carolina to visit an aunt who was living in that State at the time.

One of the only memories I have from that trip is the memory of hiding under a kitchen table.

I was outside riding a bike with my cousin when all of a sudden we heard an ear-piercingly loud siren that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Without hesitation, my cousin jumped off of his bike and started running to the house. I had no idea what was going on but it seemed important so I also left my bike in the middle of the street and ran into the house closely behind my cousin.

When we got in the house, we found my aunt and grandmother huddled under the kitchen table and frantically waving for us to come and join them. So, we got down, and wiggled our way under the table and into the comforting arms of the two women who were caring for us that week. The siren continued to fill the air the whole time this frantic search for a covering was going.

While under the shelter of the table, it was explained to me that this was a hurricane and tornado safety drill. In places like South Carolina, these sort of safety drills happen randomly at all times of the day and night. The purpose of the siren and mad dash to gather under the kitchen table was to provide protection from the forces of nature associated with extreme weather conditions.

The kitchen table above me, and the arms of my grandmother and aunt were all providing protection for me in the event of the house collapsing above me.

When the crowing, hissing, or growling of an animal predator is heard, when the crunching of leaves under the boot of a human hunter is getting louder, when the clapping of thunder and the flashing of lightning fill the sky, when strong winds start bending the trees above, when the smoke and heat of a brush fire approach, the mother spreads her body out and calls her babies to run under the pinions of her wings to find refuge and a shield.

The pinion is the outermost part of the bird’s wing. So, in order for the baby birds to be under the pinions of the mother’s wing, her wings have to be fully extended and completely stretched out. In this position, the mama bird ensures maximum and complete protection for her children. In this position the mother bird is making herself vulnerable to harm. This act of the mother shows her love for her children through her willingness to give up her own life to save theirs.

On the cross, Jesus fully extends and completely stretches out his arms. In this position, your Savior ensures maximum and complete protection for you. Jesus spreads out His body, making Himself vulnerable to harm and in that act He shows you His love for you through His willingness to give up His own life to save you.

Many years ago, the rock band Creed wrote and recorded a song that quickly became an international anthem. Without directly knowing it, people all around the globe connected with and sang in unison words that spoke the good news of Jesus Christ on the cross when they participated in repeating the following chorus (read from the perspective of God speaking to you):

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I’ll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I’ll show you love
I’ll show you everything
With arms wide open

On the cross, the siren sounded because the wrath of God was coming to crush you who are sinful by nature.

At the cross, God, your Father in Heaven, calls you to stand under His Son so that you are shielded from the destruction and death that your sin deserves.

On the cross, Jesus spread out His arms and protects you from the wrath of God that should be fully poured out on you.

On the cross, Jesus paid the price for your sins in full.

You have been shielded from ultimate destruction and are continually shielded from ultimate destruction.

Today, know that God is alive and active and has his arms fully spread out, holding you close, and keeping you safe in the midst of trials and temptations that are attempting to destroy you by distracting you from loving God and loving one another.

Jesus has protected you and shielded you with His arms wide open on the cross.

Go into the world today with your arms wide open protecting and shielding others.

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

July 28, 2017

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and the LORD tests hearts.

–Proverbs 17.3–

This coming September, my wife and I will be celebrating our 11 year wedding anniversary. What most people don’t know is that I have cooked almost every dinner for us over that time period. That statement is not an exaggeration.

This arrangement works for us because I love to cook. As an artist, it is a creative outlet for me and therefore is very calming and relaxing.

One of my wife’s favorite meals is mussels.

The problem with mussels is that they need a lot of work done to them to clean them so that they can be cooked with.

Due to their natural state of living in sand and mud, the mussels have be soaked in a flour and water bath for 45 minutes which causes them to spit out any sand or dirt that is inside the shell. Next, they must be scrubbed with a wire brush to remove the caked on debris from the outside of the shell. And, finally the tough fibers that hold the mussel to the pier, rope or rock, must be pulled out.

The truth is that mussels are naturally impure and cannot clean themselves.

A chef needs to come to them and remove the impurity.

A crucible is a ceramic bowl. In that bowl, a metal smith will heat up silver that by nature is unclean and impure.

By heating the silver in the crucible, the dirt deeply imbedded in the silver separates out rises to the top of the crucible. At that point, the metal worker skims off the junk from the top and removes the debris that makes the silver impure. At that point the smith now has material that is useful for making products to help him support his family and work.

The truth is that sliver is naturally impure and cannot clean itself.

A metal smith needs to come to the silver and remove the impurity.

Romans 3.23 says, “for [you] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

And, Romans 7.18 says, “nothing good dwells in [you], that is, in [your] flesh. For [you] have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”

Due to your natural state of being, born into and living in sin, you heart is impure and unclean when tested against God’s standards for life and love. Therefore, you need a lot of work done to you in order to make your heart clean you so that you can be acceptable to God in Heaven.

The truth is that you are naturally impure and cannot clean yourself.

You need someone to come to you and remove the impurity of sin.

The amazing thing is that the Bible also tells you exactly who it is that comes to you to remove impurity in your heart.

Romans 5.8-8 tells you that, “while [you] were still weak, at the right time Christ died for [your ungodliness]…God shows his love for [you] in that while [you] were still [a sinner], Christ died for [you].”

Through faith Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for you, Jesus has done the work of making you into one with a heart that is called clean and pure before the throne of God in Heaven.

As the days go on, the Lord will continue to test your heart, reveal your sin, and speak to you the forgiveness and purity given through faith in Jesus Christ.

Rejoice in your salvation!

Amen.

Pastor Fred

July 24, 2017

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

–Matthew 4:19–

On Sunday morning my oldest son came downstairs after dressing himself for church and proclaimed to the family, “This shirt is the perfect shirt! It says, ‘Follow My Lead!’ So, the other kids will follow me to Children’s Church!”

As a parent, it is amazing to see the boldness of my son as he joyfully walks in the faith that he received in baptism.

Despite my failures in parenting him (i.e. letting laziness take over and choosing many nights not to read the Bible with him), God, his Father in Heaven is faithful in parenting him.

Alongside his desire for sharing the love of Jesus with others, my son loves to pray. The one thing he WILL NOT let me forget to do is pray with him every night before bed.

One of my son’s nightly prayers that he prays without prompt from me is, “God, let more people come to church to hear about Jesus.”

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth, He gathered men and women to himself with the call to “Follow me,” (or, in order words, “Follow my lead!”) and gave them the promise that He would do all of the work in their lives to “make them fishers of men.”

What God, the Father in Heaven was saying through Jesus in that simple call and promise was that Jesus would forgive sins and change hearts to bend to the will of God. By following Jesus’ lead, they would first be loved and would love in response.

At the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth, in the ultimate act of love, He put the cross on His back, on which He would die, gathered men and women to himself with the call to “Follow me,” and led them to the place of crucifixion where He received the wrath of God poured out on Him to point of death to pay the price for your sin.

Today, walk boldly and joyfully in the saving faith you have received.

Follow Jesus because He has first followed God, the Father in Heaven, all the way to the cross to save you from your sin.

Despite your failures this week, God is calling you and leading you with the gentle and comforting words, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Today, you are metaphorically dressed in a shirt that says “Christian.” In other words, your shirt says, “Follow My Lead!” People will follow you. Lead them to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness, rest, and peace.

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

July 21, 2017

“…you have given the command to save me…”

–Psalm 71.3–

My 5-year-old son recently received a backyard explorer’s kit. The kit includes a small, clear plastic, oval container with magnifying glasses built into the structure. The container is supposed to be used to capture insects and provide the chance to examine the creepy crawlers up close and personal.

With each insect caught and housed in the scientific study capsule comes the question, “Can we keep it in the house?”

As parents, we do not want to see the bug wither away and die (or maybe we don’t want them escaping into our residence and making themselves comfortable under our couches, in our cabinets, or in our beds), so we give the command to release the creature into the environment that provides for their needs, keeps them safe from death, and promotes life. Because of our child’s new found love of trapping bugs, we are continually speaking words that save life, “Let that insect go!”

We see the insect trapped and unable to help itself. So, we pour out compassion toward it.

In these words from Psalm 71, the psalmist is reminiscing about his life with God. In written form, the author reveals that the trials of his time on earth were always met by God’s goodness working to strengthen and rescue him. In moments where he felt trapped and was unable to help himself, God intervened. God had compassion on him and gave the command from His Heavenly Throne that saved him.

Caught without faith in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins, the magnifying glass used to examine the I ntricacies of your being, reveal that in the womb you were hostile to God (Psalm 51.5) and outside of the womb you continue to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3.23). Upon further examination, it is shown that because of your sin, your brokenness, your corruption, your self-centered living, your lack of love for God and your lack of love for those around you, you are separated from God and deserve to die being separated from God forever (Romans 6.23).

As your Creator, God, the Father in Heaven, does not want to see you wither away or die. He does not want you escaping into the residence of the fallen world and making yourself comfortable, so He gives the command to release you from the burden of the Law that crushes you with it’s demands (Colossians 2.14) into His eternal environment where He provides for your needs (Matthew 6.8), keeps you safe from death (John 10.28-30), and promotes life (John 10.10). Because of your love for the momentary pleasure and gratification of sin, God is continually speaking words that save your life—“Let my people go!” (Exodus 9.1; Mark 1.15; 1 John 1.9; John 3.16-17).

God sees you trapped and unable to help yourself and pours out compassion toward you in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

July 13, 2017

Grace and peace— these two words embrace the whole of Christianity. Grace forgives sin, and peace stills the conscience. The two devils who plague us are sin and conscience, the power of the Law and the sting of sin (1 Cor. 15: 56). But Christ has conquered these two monsters and trodden them underfoot, both in this age and in the age to come. The world does not know this; therefore it cannot teach anything sure about how to overcome sin, conscience, and death. Only Christians have this kind of teaching and are equipped and armed with it, so that they can overcome sin, despair, and eternal death. It is a teaching that is given only by God; it does not proceed from free will, nor was it invented by human reason or wisdom.

These two words, “grace” and “peace,” contain a summary of all of Christianity. Grace contains the forgiveness of sins, a joyful peace, and a quiet conscience. But peace is impossible unless sin has first been forgiven, for the Law accuses and terrifies the conscience on account of sin. And the sin that the conscience feels cannot be removed by pilgrimages, vigils, labors, efforts, vows, or any other works; in fact, sin is increased by works. The more we work and sweat to extricate ourselves from sin, the worse off we are. For there is no way to remove sin except by grace… Because the world does not understand this doctrine, it neither can nor will tolerate it. It brags about free will, about our powers, about our works— all these as means by which to earn and attain grace and peace, that is, the forgiveness of sins and a joyful conscience. But the conscience cannot be quiet and joyful unless it has peace through this grace, that is, through the forgiveness of sins promised in Christ… Therefore your bones and mine will know no rest until we hear the Word of grace and cling to it firmly and faithfully.

–Martin Luther–

Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, vol. 26: “Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4;” J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, ed., Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis.