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Pastor’s Notes April 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Two unbelievers were on a train together to Indianapolis.  One was an agnostic Colonel, the other an unbelieving Union General.  They were discussing Christ’s wonderful life and debating religious theology.  One said, “I think an interesting novel could be written about Him.”  The other replied, “You are just the man to write it.  Set forth the correct view of His life and character.  Tear down the common feelings as to His divineness and paint Him as He was, a man among men.”  The suggestion was acted upon and the novel was written.  The man who made the suggestion was a Colonel Ingersoll; the author was General Lew Wallace, and the book was BEN HUR.

Wallace did extensive research on the life of Christ and the book became the best selling novel of the 1800’s.  It was not surpassed on the all-time best-seller list until 1936 and “Gone With the Wind.”  Once the movie came out in 1959 and won 11 Academy Awards in 1960 the book was once again at the top of the best-seller lists.

As General Wallace wrote his book, first in Crawfordsville, Indiana and then in New Mexico, he found himself facing the unaccountable Man Jesus.  The more he studied Jesus’ life and character, the more completely he was convinced that Jesus was more, exceedingly more, than a man among men.  The power of the Holy Spirit had worked on the heart of General Wallace until at length, like the centurion under the cross, he could not help but cry out, “TRULY, THIS IS THE SON OF GOD.”

A Blessed Easter!  TRULY, THIS IS THE SON OF GOD.

In Christ,

Pastor

Stewardship Corner March 2018

Hudson Taylor, a Nineteenth Century British missionary to China, is reported to have said, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will not lack God’s supply.” To know God’s way, we need to know His Holy Word. Or to say it another way: you need to know your Bible.

St. Paul, before he spends two chapters on giving, wrote that every thought is to be taken captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Doctrine matters. And doctrine matters because the Scriptures matter. And the Scriptures matter because this is where we learn the teaching of Christ. Our thoughts must be brought into line with the teaching of Scripture so that our work is what God wants done and so that we do this work in His way.

A good tree bears good fruit. A bad tree bears bad fruit. We have been made good trees in holy baptism. We are fertilized and pruned for bearing good fruit by constantly hearing God’s Word preached and taught in sermon and Bible Class and in receiving the life-giving, faith-sustaining food of the Lord’s Supper. Remember your doctrine, hold on to the Lord’s teaching, and your thoughts will be taken captive to the obedience of Christ.

Bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ is recognizing that God does provide. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to pray for daily bread. Praying this day in and day out reminds us that the Lord is the giver of our daily bread, and that we are to give thanks for His daily provision of it.

God is rarely early and never late in His work, as Abraham learned, “on the mount of the Lord it will be provided” (Gen. 22:14). The Lord’s generosity forms our generosity in return. Thus, we set aside for the work of God a generous, first-fruits, proportion of the daily bread that God has given to us. This act of trust in the Lord’s provision is the working out of our faith in Him.

When budgetary discussions pop up, our natural reaction is to point fingers. But remember your doctrine, and what your mother taught about pointing fingers. Our first natural reaction is not always right. In fact, when our thoughts are brought into captivity of Christ, our first reaction should be repentance.

It should raise questions in our own lives. As good trees in Christ who are to bear good fruit, we should ask whether our thoughts are taken captive by obedience to Christ. Have we given generously? Have we given our first-fruits? You know. And God knows. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9).

God will provide. He always has and He always will. He gives His meat in due season. He has not left you as orphans, but has grafted you into His own family. You belong to Him. Remember this, letting this thought dwell in you richly. And you will then be rich toward others.

Celebrating March 2018

Birthdays

Michael Anderson           Mar  1

John Isaac                       Mar  1

Kyryth Kessler                 Mar  2

Anita Contois                   Mar  3

Halle Sheley                    Mar  3

Vanessa Biddle               Mar  4

Steve Parry                     Mar  4

Greg Sheley                    Mar  6

Ruth Alvis                        Mar 18

Jennifer Cloyd                 Mar 25

Mary Anne Kirchner         Mar 29

Bob Bier                          Mar 31

Baptismal Birthdays

Lucas Schempp              Mar  1

Jennifer Parry                  Mar  3

Betty Bier                         Mar  4

Matthew Holland              Mar  8

Linda Dirks                      Mar 11

Pat Orr                             Mar 11

Mollie Hitch                      Mar 13

Ryan Hitch                       Mar 13

Johana Kirchner              Mar 16

Ruth Alvis                        Mar 18

Luanne Huth                    Mar 20

Carol Schroeder              Mar 24

Vanessa Biddle               Mar 29

Carin Henson                  Mar 31

Pastor’s Notes March 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

During our Lenten midweek worship services, the messages are focusing in on being able to explain the Gospel in as few words as possible.  It is a good spiritual exercise and one our attention span deprived society needs.

Have you stopped to think there is a Bible verse that many men and women know and it only has 26 words?  Got a guess?  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  That message is broadcast from heaven, from the cross, and from our churches today.

Why do we need that love?  Because we fail in our love.  “Dearest Jimmy, No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement.  Please say you’ll take me back.  No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me.  I love you!  I love you!  Yours forever, Marie.  P.S. Congratulations on winning the state lottery!”

Our love can be fleeting.  The Lord’s love is constant.  Our love is based on our feelings.  The Lord is love.  Our love can be predicated on getting something in return.  The Lord’s love is given knowing we can give Him nothing.

See the Lord’s love this Lent and always.  A love that suffered.  A love that flows.  A love unshaken.  A love given to the unlovable.  A love that does not boast but gives salvation and peace and mercy.

The love of Christ is here for you.  Hmm…The Gospel in . . .

In Christ,

Pastor

Stewardship Corner February 2018

“I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:8-9).

Without commands or even arm-twisting, St. Paul encourages, even challenges, the Church in Corinth to demonstrate the sincerity of their faith by their generosity in giving. He does this because giving generously is a gift of the Spirit given to us through the Gospel.

St. Paul wrote: “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). In other words, just as we grow in faith and speech and knowledge of eternal things by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, so also do we grow in giving from the same Spirit through the same Word.

The problem is that the grace of generosity often grows cold in us. It’s not so much that we stop giving, but we don’t put it first. We treat it like all the other bills that must be paid. It becomes a chore, just one more thing to check off a list of things to do. That empties it of its spiritual power and robs us of the joy that Christ and the Scriptures assign to it.

On top of that, since this generosity is linked to faith and knowledge of divine things, a lack of excelling in giving is a sure sign that our faith and knowledge of God are under attack as well.

Thus St. Paul points to the foundation of generosity: the generosity of Christ Himself. Even though He was rich, He became poor so that we who are poor might become rich. Thus, the incarnation, suffering, and death of our Lord on the cross is the reason, source, and driving force for our generosity in giving to the church.

And since Christ who was rich became poor so that we might be rich in His grace—of which generous giving is part—so we also who are rich in His grace can excel in pressing His grace into service toward the gracious work of the church.

Pay attention to what you give to the church so that you may excel at it. And if you find that your heart has grown cold or indifferent toward it, immerse yourself in God’s Word. Read it at home. Attend Bible Class. Hear and listen to it preached in the Divine Service.

Be reminded of what Christ has done for you in His incarnation, suffering, and death. For this will strengthen your faith and knowledge. And where that excels, so will the grace of giving excel also.

Pastor’s Notes February 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying maritime laws.  Two battleships had been on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days.  The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.

Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.”  “Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out.  The lookout replied, “Steady, Captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.  The captain then called to the signalman, “Signal that ship:  We are on a collision course, advise you change course twenty degrees.”  Back came the signal, “Advisable for you to change course twenty degrees.”  The captain said, “Send:  “I’m a captain, change course twenty degrees.”  “I’m a seaman second-class,” came the reply.  “You had better change course twenty degrees.”  By that time the captain was furious.  He spat out, “Send:  I’m a battleship.  Change course twenty degrees.”

Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse.”

Jesus Christ is the lighthouse.  There are a lot of captains and battleships that would tell him this, that, and whatever.  But, all of these captains and battleships that do not submit to Christ are essentially from man.  Jesus is the one from heaven who died and rose victoriously for us.  Who’s the boss?  The answer:  He who is considered nothing but a seaman second-class.  The lighthouse!  He cannot be moved, and he will vindicate all those who believe in Him, because He is in charge.

As Paul writes, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

In Christ,

Pastor