Pastor’s Notes

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

These words of Jesus are actually used twice in the gospels.  Here in Matthew and also in Luke 14 in conjunction with the “Parable of the Wedding Feast.”

As I write this, the Lueck family has had quite the week with the accolades Holden received with a football game he played in.  The night of the game he scored two touchdowns including the game-winner on an interception.  As you can imagine his father was quite proud.  I was feeling pretty good that evening.  After the game Toni and I watched Holden on the field being interviewed by the local newspaper and TV station.  The “exaltation” was sky high.

Then came the humbleness.  Toni said that we had to collect all the sweaty, mud-caked jerseys because she was taking them home to wash them.  I collected a good amount in a garbage bag and made my way to the car.  As I walked through the mud and muck the Lord reminded me of this verse I have put before you.  The father of the star player that night was “humbled” by carrying the smelly uniforms to said vehicle.  From proud peacock to the prodigal with the pigs in a matter of minutes.  You gotta love the Lord!

Jesus was exalted with a parade through the streets of Jerusalem.  Within a matter of days he was humbled through His obedience on the cross.  He took our sweaty, dirty, stinky, filthy clothes of unrighteousness over his back and made them clean again.  When He rose on Easter Sunday His humbleness had exalted us to a life of forgiveness and an eternal field where we will be clothed in the uniform of righteousness for His name’s sake.

In Christ,

Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“’Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’  And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them.” (Mark 14b-16)

We talk a lot about having a child like faith, but what does that mean?  A recent incident helps to illustrate the trust of children.

My family and I were visiting my dad (Doug) and my sister and family in Argenta where my dad lives.  As I was preparing to go out to the back porch to fire up the grill for lunch, a little shaver about 8-9 years old, rides his bike up, gets off, and proceeds to the back door.  I open the door and as he walks right in, he says, “Is Doug here?”  You have to understand that my dad had just met this little guy the day before out in the yard.  By the next day he was walking into the house like he was one of the grandchildren.  He walks in and starts talking to us like he has known us his whole life.

It was stated to him that we were going to eat and he could come back later.  He wanted to know when he was going to get to see the rest of the house!  While eating, here he comes again to the back door where he walks in and wants to know why it is taking us so long.  We invite him back once the dishes have been cleared.  He returns and joins us in a game of croquet.  His older brother eventually comes and gets him and the Lord provides another life lesson.

The trust of a child.  He had only met my dad, the rest of us were complete strangers, but he talked to us like we were his best friends.  I can’t describe in this transcription what a funny slice of life this scenario was.

We trust in our heavenly Father as His child.  He knew us from the beginning of the world; we were never strangers to Him.  He called us as His own in Baptism and keeps us in the true faith.  As we move into adulthood we lose some of our innocence because what we have seen or experienced.  This little fella reminded me of what complete trust looks like.  The Lord wants us to have that – come right in, talk to Me like you know Me, because you do, and know that My door is always open.  I am here for you because of My love and grace and mercy.

Now, how about a game of croquet?

In Christ,

Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

After seizing power is Russia, one of the things the Communists discovered is that the only way to destroy Christian churches is to infiltrate them so that they will be destroyed gradually, by church people themselves.  Reinterpret Scriptures to remove the deity of Christ and convert Him into a socialist.  Distort biblical sermons on charity to prove that government should confiscate property and enforce economic equality.  Strain spiritual content out of Scriptures, and religion faith in people can be broken.  God then becomes some kind of vague universal force and Jesus becomes merely a great man, teacher, philosopher, social reformer.  Such churches pose no obstacle in the path of the socialist revolution, but indeed can become useful instruments for promoting it.

As I read history from Nazism to Russian Communism after World War II one of the things that stands out is the capitulation of the church at large to the workings of a government that wants to destroy Christianity.  The state churches of Europe are prime examples of this.  They stand for nothing so who wants to be part of that?  The Christian church cannot blame the world for people leaving.  The church must examine itself.  Is it still teaching the historic faith of sin and salvation, heaven and hell, trespasses and grace?  Is Christ a Savior from man’s depravity?

The world has such a hard time these days explaining the tragedies that are happening because they miss the bigger picture of good and bad, the just and the unjust.  We have so many who pontificate about the wrong things when the answer is right in front of us.

There is hope.  What was once a church in Russia became a swimming pool.  Once Communism fell it became a church again.  A pulpit in place of a diving board!  I recently watched a “Perry Como Christmas Special” from 1974 on one of our cable channels.  The witness to Christ was incredible.  It made me think of the 1960’s and the student protests and the shootings and the riots and all manner of anarchy.  Watch the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago!  While I was too young, I am sure people were thinking – this is it – even without the 24-hour media coverage.  But it wasn’t it.  Study history and especially your Bible and you will see what the Lord can do.

The Holy Spirit can change lives and cultures.  And if that is not the Lord’s will He will comfort and sustain us in the struggles.  Christ’s death and resurrection assures our victory.  Keep up the good fight – in Jesus.

 

In Christ,

Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I love irony and how God has a sense of humor about things.  This is especially true as we hear the rich and famous say one thing and live another way.  People in Hollywood are especially good at this as well as liberal professors on our college campuses. 

 

I have two stories that drive home the point.  Paul McCartney is a well-known environmental advocate.  Back in 2005 the sponsor of his tour was Lexus because they make “environmentally responsible” cars.  The tour was great for both and in 2008 they gave McCartney a $150,000 gas/electric hybrid.  One problem:  Lexus chartered a cargo plane to send the car from Japan, where it was built, to England where McCartney lived.  The carbon emissions from that single flight equal 300 around-the-world trips in the car it carried.  McCartney can never drive the car enough to make up for the pollution its delivery created.  Ironic, isn’t it? 

 

The other one involves a Princeton psychologist who argued that short, simple words make writers seem smarter than long words do.  The ironic name of the study:  “Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity.”   

 

Man has never needed much help to look foolish.  Oh, how God must laugh at His creation and the funny things we do.  God loves irony as well.  A King riding on a donkey?  A shepherd boy taking down a giant?  A family of eight riding out a storm in a large watercraft with a number of animals?  A man riding a chariot off to heaven?  We love that God does things in ways we would not expect.  He has done that in your life, hasn’t He?  A Savior from sin?  Yes.  The just dying for the un-just?  It happened.  A perfect man giving His life for those far short of perfection?  Check.   

 

The irony of it all.  The Lord of Life having a good laugh…and we smile. 

 

 

In Christ, 

 

Pastor 

The 42 martyrs of Ammoria were all commanders in the army of the Byzantine emperor Theophilus.  When Ammoria, located in modern-day Turkey, fell to invading Arab armies in 838, the Muslims killed or sold many of the Christians in the city.  However, they took 42 Christian commanders as hostages to Samarra (now Iraq) and threw them in prison, where they remained for seven years.

The Muslim leaders told their prisoners, “Mohammed is the true prophet and not Christ.”  The commanders replied, “If there were two men debating about a field and the one said, ‘This field is mine’ and the other, ‘It is not, it is mine,’ and nearby one of them had many witnesses saying it is his field and the other had no witnesses, but only himself, what would you say – whose field is it?”

The Muslims answered, “Indeed, to him who had many witnesses!”  “You have judged correctly,” the commanders said, “That is the way with Christ and Mohammed.  Christ has many witnesses:  the Prophets of old, John the Forerunner, the disciples, the women, all who recognized Him and who witness to and about Him (Christ), but Mohammed witnesses only to himself that he is a prophet and does not have even one witness.”

Ashamed, the Muslims said, “Our faith is better than the Christian faith as proved by this:  God gave us the victory over you and gave us the best land in the world and a kingdom much greater than Christianity.”

In reply, the commanders said, “If it were so, then the idolatry of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Romans and the fire-worship of the Persians would be the true faith for, at one time, all of these people conquered the others and ruled over them.  It is evident that your victory, power and wealth do not prove the truth of your faith.  We know that God, at times, gives victory to Christians and, at other times, allows torture and suffering so as to correct them and to bring them to repentance and purification of their sins.”

For seven years, these 42 commanders were tortured to embrace the Islamic faith, but they never did.  They were finally beheaded in the year 845, and their bodies were thrown into the Euphrates River.

What a witness and an understanding of the theology of the cross.  We pray for the Christian martyrs around the world who are suffering for the faith.  Give them strength and a reminder of Your presence Lord as they sacrifice to further the Kingdom of God.

In Christ,

Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It should be a celebration.  The house is full of kids – school friends, neighborhood friends.  You are the guest of honor, and you have five candles on your birthday cake to blow out.  So what could be wrong?  Maybe a brother or sister is messing with one of your gifts.  Maybe Trevor swiped a finger across the frosting of your cake before you blow out the candles.  Whatever it is, it is all coming apart in tears.  The bigger picture – a bright picture of fun and games and friends and presents and cake – has been lost.

Because Jesus ascended into heaven, He is now exalted over all things.  He rules all things on behalf of His Church.  This should bring us great hope and joy.  Yet what happens to us?  We become discouraged by our worldly cares.  We become disgruntled like the birthday child.  Our sin clouds our eyes to see what God has done and is doing through our risen and ascended Lord.  We see with just our physical eyes and because of this we focus on the discouragements of the world.  In our church we may fret about troubles members are having or the number of members who are inactive.  We become discouraged as we fail to accomplish those things that we want to get done.  We find ourselves in a state of despair as we see our own shortcomings or the shortcomings in others.  We then wallow in our self-pity.  But our Lord has ascended on high and rules over all things on our behalf.  He has ascended to fill and be filled by His Church.  Let’s not lose sight of this wonderful truth and all that means for us.

Ascension Day is still important for us as Christians.  Historically, the Ascension has been a big day in the life of the Church.  Many Lutheran churches have Ascension as part of their name.  I wonder how many still have worship on that day?  We still do here at Good Shepherd.  This year it will be Thursday, May 5^th at 7:00 p.m..  Christ is in control.  He has been given all rule, authority, power, and dominion.  That is why He ascended on high.  He has prepared a place for us and is waiting.  To God on High Be Glory!

In Christ,

Pastor