Author Archives: Pastor Jim Driskell, Lutheran Church

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About Pastor Jim Driskell, Lutheran Church

I am the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Chestertown, Md. I pray that you will come and worship with us, worship is 10 am Sundays. We are a renewal church and we are lifting God up in classical worship, and being faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. 101 Greenwood Av, Chestertown. Plenty of parking behind the church.

Exclusive Report—The Devil in Detroit

Exclusive Report—The Devil in Detroit.

This is by a Roman Catholic priest, who gives a little more detail into the unveiling of the Satan statue of Baphomet in Detroit. There is more than just an exercise of “religion” involved, this episode involves sexual expression that goes along with Satanic worship.

 

Predestinado a una gran herencia en Cristo First St Johns 12 de julio 2015 Efesios 1: 3-14

[for audio version of this sermon click on above link]

Hacemos nuestro comienzo en el Nombre de Dios el Padre y en el nombre de Dios el Hijo y en el nombre de Dios el Espíritu Santo y todos los que han sido pre-destinado en Cristo desde el principio del mundo dijo … AMEN! Los cristianos están empezando a ser un poco demasiado de una “mentalidad de búnker”, me voy a quedar en mi propio grupo, yo no voy a compartir a Cristo con otras personas, yo sólo voy a tratarla como mi punto de vista y no tratar de conseguir cualquier persona involucrada. “Eso somos esencialmente en estado de sitio, muchos podrían reclamar que los cristianos en el mundo son oprimidos y sí hay muchos que son perseguidos abiertamente. Así que tomamos en esta actitud de ser golpeado, obligado a callar, como una especie de perro apaleado y sólo mantener un perfil bajo. Un predicador de radio realmente llevó a casa el punto, sin embargo, que seguro, tal vez nos estamos un poco golpeado a la clandestinidad. Pero, ¿podemos realmente justificamos que cuando hablamos en términos de lo que somos en Jesús? ¿Realmente podemos justificar un complejo de persecución, la “cosecha de todo el mundo en mi pobre, pobre mentalidad me lamentable”, porque estoy en Jesús y que todos sepan sobre él? El Concordia Auto-Estudio de la Biblia señala: “la elección Divina es una constante en las cartas de Pablo [la nota describe 33 versículos en los escritos de Pablo, a partir de un número de citas en Romanos, Colosenses, primera y segunda Tesalonicenses y Tito], en el periscopio de hoy “… se hace hincapié en las siguientes maneras: nos escogió, nos predestinó, estábamos también elegimos, habiendo sido predestinados” Con base en el hecho de que somos elegidos, Dios tiene “predestinado” nosotros para la salvación, que nos estamos en Su Señorío de nuestra vida, ¿estamos realmente justificados al pensar que somos una especie de víctima? Es algo así como la lucha libre profesional. ¿Cómo funciona en wrassling profesional? El héroe sale y toma una paliza, que es llevado hacia abajo, todo parece desesperada y entonces …? Correcto? Se pone en el suelo, y, finalmente, los mítines para dar un vuelco a la Undertaker o el jeque del hierro, o quien sea el malo de la película del día es. No todo el tiempo, pero creo que en las circunstancias de hoy, eso es algo de lo que sentimos. Podríamos dar un golpe abajo por Cristo y como he dicho antes, para nosotros aquí, en realidad no es tan malo. Pero ciertamente sabemos hermanos y hermanas que están pagando un alto precio por ser discípulos cristianos cristianos. Pero porque somos salvos en Jesús, porque somos bautizados hijos del Padre, ¿cómo podemos realmente pensar que no importa lo mucho que sufrimos persecución, que estamos oprimidos? El hecho del asunto es que somos salvos. Sabemos que somos salvos por las señales tangibles que nos han dado. Somos bautizados en la nueva vida, nosotros tomamos el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Jesús, nosotros escuchamos su Palabra predicada y leemos Su palabra escrita. Sabemos, al igual que el wrassler, he sido un gran fan de Killer Kowalski, sí sabemos cómo termina, sí sabemos donde comienza nuestra vida eterna. Sin duda, la vida aquí importa. No estoy tratando de restar importancia a nuestra vida terrenal. Pero somos mucho más que eso, y ciertamente no podemos justificar el pensamiento de nosotros mismos como víctimas. No eran! Claro que podemos conseguir una nariz sangrienta metafórica de vez en cuando, conseguir el extremo corto de la vara. Pero como lo que importa hemos sido elegidos, hemos sido predestinados a la vida eterna en Cristo. Para mí eso es enormemente tranquilizador. Yo no soy salvo en todo lo que hago, para el caso, no puedo accidentalmente estropearlo. Soy salvo, soy perdonado, estoy predestinado por el Creador del Universo, Dios; Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, a la vida eterna. Para la vida “… Yo he venido para que tengan vida y la tengan en abundancia.” (Juan 10:10) Somos los vencedores en Jesús! Estamos Hulk Hogan en términos de Cristo, somos de Él. Él nos da la verdadera vida, no sólo en la resurrección, que teniendo en cuenta que es la vida eterna en Él en lo ilimitado apasionante vida perfecta, en nuestros cuerpos perfeccionados, la forma en que estaban destinados a vivir la vida como cristiano. Pero también que tenemos abundantes, vidas fructíferas porque Jesús es el Señor de nuestra vida en el aquí y ahora. Claro que podríamos tener algunos éxitos para él, pero cuando lo miras objetivamente a lo que el resto del mundo piensa como “vivo”, somos muy afortunados de tener una vida en Jesús que se trata de las cosas verdaderamente importantes en la vida. Tenemos la oportunidad de vivir una vida que sea significativa y no todo es sobre el pecado que vemos que es todo lo que nos rodea. Somos libres en Cristo, no como la persona que está esclavizada a la lujuria o la codicia, la ira, la amargura, las drogas, el consumismo, la violencia, la lista sigue y sigue. Incluso alguien que está tan atrapado en el mundo, al igual que Bob Dylan es citado diciendo “Toda la verdad en el mundo se suma a una gran mentira.” Para aquellos en el mundo, que están esclavizados a esos pecados, eso es lo que ” vida “es para ellos. Para que se sientan como si estuvieran “viviendo” necesitan tener constantemente una mayor cantidad de las más nuevas cosas, la vida más popular, más ponography, más abuso de sustancias, son esclavos de sus cosas. Debemos tener piedad y compasión de los que están en el mundo, porque están atrapados en esa desesperanza, las cosas que los hacen muerto. No cristianos luchan con esas cosas? Ellos si. Pero a diferencia de los que están esclavizados al mundo, sabemos que hemos sido salvados de esas cosas esclavizantes, sabemos que nosotros tenemos la verdadera libertad y la verdadera liberación. No estamos atados a las cosas, sabemos que el Espíritu Santo sigue para salvarnos de las cosas que dominan la vida del otro. No es a través de nuestros esfuerzos que estamos salvados, incluso en medio de la lucha que tenemos el Espíritu Santo para recurrir y guiarnos de distancia, hacen que una forma posible de superar. Por desgracia para los que están en el mundo que de alguna manera creen que tienen la sartén por el mango, no tienen esa opción, se victimizado y gruñó en su pecado. Otros en el mundo tratan de ayudarles a superar, pero es notable cómo ineficaces e incluso más amortiguamiento cuando otros utilizan los métodos del mundo. A menudo se deja a la gente aún más víctimas. Pero una y otra vez vemos cómo los métodos basados ​​en la fe de salvar a la gente del trabajo pecado en formas sorprendentes.Entonces, ¿cómo podemos decir que son víctimas cuando tenemos la seguridad de ser salvo, no importa lo mal que podría complicar las cosas, sabemos que el Espíritu Santo está a la espera de que nos volvamos a Él? Sabemos que lo que Jesús hizo y hace por nosotros nos trae la vida más abundante en el mundo, y en la eternidad. Como ya he dicho, ¿cómo podemos quejarse de alguna imposición temporal, cuando muchos a nuestro alrededor, se enredó en su pecado, completamente adicta a su pecado y perdido a la separación eterna y el castigo porque rechazaron la salvación de Dios en Jesús? Ellos son las víctimas, debemos tener lástima y compasión por ellos. Y nosotros, los que hemos estado pre-destinado desde el principio, que saben lo que nuestra vida está aquí y eternamente, ¿cómo podemos realmente sentimos como si fuéramos las víctimas?

Padre, nos ayude a todos a conocer en nuestros corazones, en las profundidades de nuestras almas, las riquezas que tiene en Jesús, que nos han dado y que somos pre-destinado a recibir a Jesús. Nos consuela constantemente en la oración, en el juicio, en la tranquilidad constante que tenemos, que somos verdaderamente santo, santificado, separado en Jesús. Él tomó todos nuestros pecados sobre sí mismo, y en la cruz pagó el precio por todos esos pecados. Debido a que Él nos dio la promesa de que a través de Él somos suficientes para estar en la presencia de nuestro santo, perfecto Dios, justo, amable para la vida y la vida más abundante aquí y en el mundo eterno de la resurrección. Saque esa revista y escribir sobre las formas en que se han entregado, por la confianza que tenemos en Cristo de ser salvado del mal en el mundo y que estamos pre-destinado a la vida eterna y más abundante en Jesús.

La paz de Dios que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guardará vuestros corazones y vuestros pensamientos en Cristo Jesús. Amin y Shalom.

“Predestined to a great inheritance in Christ” First St Johns July 12, 2015 Ephesians 1: 3-14

[click on above link for audio version of this sermon]

We make our beginning in the Name of God the Father and in the Name of God the Son and in the Name of God the Holy Spirit and all those who have been pre-destined in Christ from the beginning of the world said … AMEN!

Christians are starting to get a little too much of a “bunker mentality”, I’m going to stay in my own group, I’m not going to share Christ with other people, I’m just going to treat it as my viewpoint and not try to get anyone involved.” That we are essentially under siege, many would claim that Christians in the world are oppressed and yes there are many who are openly persecuted. So we take on this attitude of being beaten down, forced to shut up, sort of like a beaten dog and just keep a low profile. A radio preacher really drove home the point, though, that sure, maybe we are getting a little beaten into hiding. But can we really justify that when we talk in terms of who we are in Jesus? Can we really justify a persecution complex, the “everyone’s picking on me poor, poor pitiful me mentality”, because I’m in Jesus and let everyone know about it? The Concordia Self-Study Bible points out: “Divine election is a constant them in Paul’s letters [the note describes 33 verses in Paul’s writings, from a number of citations in Romans, Colossians, first and second Thessalonians and Titus], in today’s periscope, “…it is emphasized in the following ways: he chose us, he predestined us, we were also chose, having been predestined”[1] Based on the fact that we are chosen, God has “pre-destined” us to salvation, that we are in His Lordship of our life, are we really justified in thinking that we are some kind of a victim?

It’s sort of like professional wrestling. How does it work in professional wrassling? The hero goes out and takes a beating, he gets taken down, it all looks hopeless and then …? Right? He gets off the floor, and eventually rallies to give a beat down to the Undertaker or the Iron Sheik, or whoever the bad guy of the day is. Not all the time, but I think under the circumstances of today, that’s kind of how we feel. We might take a beat down for Christ and as I’ve said before, for us here, it’s really not so bad. But we certainly know Christian brothers and sisters who are paying a heavy price for being Christian disciples. But because we are saved in Jesus, because we are baptized children of the Father, how can we really think that no matter how much persecution we endure, that we’re oppressed?

The fact of the matter is that we are saved. We know we are saved because of the tangible signs that we’ve been given. We are baptized into new life, we do take the Body and Blood of Jesus, we do hear His preached Word and read His written word. We know, just like the wrassler, I have been a big fan of Killer Kowalski, we do know how this ends, we do know where our eternal life begins. To be sure, life here matters. I’m not trying to downplay our earthly life. But we are so much more than that, and we certainly can’t justify thinking of ourselves as victims. We’re not! Sure we may get a metaphorical bloody nose once in awhile, get the short end of the stick. But for what it matters we have been chosen, we have been predestined to eternal life in Christ. For me that is enormously reassuring. I’m not saved in anything I do, for that matter, I can’t accidentally mess it up. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am predestined by the Creator of the Universe, God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to life eternal. To life “…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) We are the victors in Jesus! We are Hulk Hogan in terms of Christ, we are His. He gives us true life, not just in the resurrection, which considering that is eternal life in Him in the perfect, unlimited, exciting life in our perfected bodies, the way we were meant to live life as a Christian. But also that we have abundant, fruitful lives because Jesus is the Lord of our life in the here and now. Sure we might take some hits for it, but when you really look objectively at what the rest of the world thinks of as “living”, we are so blessed to have a life in Jesus that is about the truly important things in life. We get to live a life that is meaningful and is not all about the sin that we see that is all around us. We are free in Christ, not like the person who is enslaved to lust, or greed, anger, bitterness, drugs, consumerism, violence, the list goes on and on. Even someone who is so caught up in the world, like Bob Dylan is quoted as saying “All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie.” For those in the world, they are enslaved to those sins, that is what “life” is to them. For them to feel as if they are “living” they need to constantly have an increased amount of the newest things, the most popular life, more ponography, more substance abuse, they are slaves to their things. We should have pity and compassion on those who are in the world, because they are caught up in such hopelessness, things that make them dead now. Do Christians struggle with those things? Yes, they do. But unlike those who are enslaved to the world, we know that we have been saved from those enslaving things, we know that we do have true freedom and true deliverance. We are not tied to those things, we know that the Holy Spirit continues to save us from the things that dominate other’s lives. It is not through our efforts that we are saved, even in the midst of struggle we have the Holy Spirit to turn to and guide us away, make a way possible to overcome. Sadly for those in the world who somehow think they have the upper hand, they don’t have that choice, they are victimized and snarled in their sin.  Others in the world try to help them overcome, but it is remarkable how ineffective and even more deadening when others use the methods of the world. Often it leaves people even more victimized. But over and over we see how faith based methods of saving people from sin work in astonishing ways.

So how can we say we are victims when we have the assurance of being saved, no matter how bad we might mess things up, we know that the Holy Spirit is waiting for us to turn to Him? We know that what Jesus did and does for us brings us life more abundant in the world, and in eternity. As I said, how can we whine about some temporary imposition, when so many around us, are tangled in their sin, completely addicted to their sin and lost to eternal separation and punishment because they rejected God’s salvation in Jesus? They are victims, we should have great pity and compassion for them. And we who have been pre-destined from the beginning, who know what our life is here and eternally, how can we really feel as if we are the victims?

Father, help us all to know in our hearts, to the depths of our souls, the riches in Jesus that we have been given and that we are pre-destined to receive in Jesus. We are comforted constantly in prayer, in trial, in the constant reassurance that we have, that we are truly holy, sanctified, set apart in Jesus. He took all of our sins on Himself, and on the Cross He paid the price for all those sins. Because of that He gave us the promise that through Him we are sufficient to be in the presence of our holy, perfect, just, gracious God to life and life more abundant here and in the eternal world of the resurrection. Take out that journal and write about the ways you have been delivered, about the assurance we have in Christ of being saved from the evil in the world and that we are pre-destined to life eternal and more abundant in Jesus.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amin and Shalom.

[1] Concordia Self Study Bible p 1804

Relationship with Jesus is relationship with His church

Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are?

Martin Luther

One of my big pet peeves, I don’t need church, I just go worship God my own way, if it all. This idea that God owes me for all I’ve done, hey great I’ve been. When they list it out, have to tell you not very impressive, and God is never going to be impressed. He gave us His Son, and folks Jesus is the only way and to be in Jesus you have to be in His Body, which is His church. “…for most of Christian history, a relationship with God was inseparable from a relationship with the church.” (Tish Harrison Warren “The Church is Your Mom” via Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics in Leadership Journal Summer 2015 p 16) I can just not get over this attitude that each person seems to expect personal treatment according to their whims. They expect the church to be there for them, but they have no responsibility to anyone else it’s all about them.
This is Jesus’ church He told us that He would build His church on this rock. But no that’s not good enough, it’s our way or no way. Guess what, it’s Jesus way, His church and don’t let your attitude fool you into believing it’s about you, it’s about Jesus and His church.
“Most believers over the last two millennia – Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox alike – would deem spiritual life without the church as incomprehensible and impossible as biological life without a mother.” There can be no communion with Jesus unless you are in communion with His Body, the church. Those who think they can make it up on their own are sadly deluded and despite what they think, they are not in communion with Jesus. Jesus establishes His own church and then decides to make millions of exceptions and still have His church serve those exceptions??? I’d like to see how you work that deal with your oncologist. Sure I have cancer but you have to come to me, or better yet I will do it on my own at home and fix it. Folks you have cancer, sin! As we’ve said the church is a hospital for sinners. You can chose your own way and die for eternity, or you can trust in Jesus’ church to life everlasting.

Lutheran Order of service for “Church Dedication”

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The Lutheran Order of Service for the upcoming Sunday (8th Sunday after Trinity) is available here in isiZulu, seTswana and English. This is focussed  on the theme of “Dedication of the Church” (Kirchweih). Today it comes with a sermon based on God’s Word from the Holy Gospel of St. John in the 2nd chapter verses 13-25 written by my brother Rev. Kurt Schnackenberg in English (WE 20150727 KS Church Dedication Jo2) and translated as usual by my father Rev. E.A.W.Weber DD (Welbedacht, KZN) into both isiZulu (wz1540150726. n Tr 8 elokukhumbula ukuvulwa kwendlu yokusonta) and se Tswana (wt1540150717 n. Tr. 8 moletlo wa go gopola pulo ya kereke).

The readings for the 8th Sunday after Trinity are:

  • Old Testament:       Isaiah 2:1-5
  • The Epistle:            Ephesians 5,8b-14
  • The Gospel:            St.Matthew 5:13-16
  • Psalm:                    48:2-3a.9.15

The liturgical colour is green, but if the Sunday…

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God uses our work to put others in right relationship with Him. Makes sense!

God is only going to give you so much family to raise or relate to as Christians. He gives us a lot more relationships in the place where, it seems, that we spend more waking time than anywhere else. Ah yes, where we work to earn our wage, the place where we toil in order to support our families, but also to interact with those around us.

God certainly puts us into each of our relationships for a reason and our workplace, ask my wife, seems to have taken up the majority of my waking time. God has put me in some interesting places to witness to Him. I worked for two of the biggest banks in the world, and one of the biggest manufacturer in the world. People knew that I was a Christian and occasionally someone would want to talk to me about it. I worked for the Massachusetts State Treasurer, right on the top of Beacon Hill in downtown Boston, obviously a place desperate for Christian witness. I served in the Coast Guard Reserve for 29 years with 4 years of active duty. Needless to say for people who regularly face life and death, the questions have to trickle out and they did. I built many relationships through my workplaces, a lot of really interesting people and opportunities.

So when Patrick Morley in his book “A Man’s Guide To Work” states: “This is the ultimate purpose of work: to bring people into right relationship with God and with each other.” You really do have to come to the realization that the workplace can present many challenging relationships and many rewarding relationships. God uses each relationship to help us, co-workers, even customers to come to Jesus, to continue to grow in Jesus and for our work to serve in ways imaginable and unimaginable.

Morley goes on to write: “Once you see your work life the way God sees your work life, it is a perspective that will permeate every human encounter, every decision you make and every minute you allocate.” In the military you are taught to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Whether you are being subjected to hostile, or criminal activity or if you have to deal with issues of the weather. As Christians should we be constantly aware of our environment where we work, where we serve as examples of serving, where we serve as examples of leaders, mentors and followers?

“The purpose of your work is to improve people’s lives – to bring them into right relationship with God and others.” Now that I am a pastor, this is certainly obvious in my vocational life. But we are all part of the royal priesthood of believers. The other people around you at work may not realize it, but God has put you there in order to be His priest to the people around you. More than likely, I’m never going to be in your workplace, I’m never going to know the people you know. Even if they aren’t Christians, wouldn’t God put someone in their midst to minister to them?

No you’re not going to be a bull in a china shop, you are there to do your work. But those around you should know that you are a Christian and when they are around you, even in your day to day work, they see something different in you that they don’t see in the people who aren’t Christians. When God wants you to witness to them He will give you the opportunity, and it will be at an opportune time. Not when you have a million dollar customer waiting to work with you in the conference room, but at a time that God arranges where you can truly see your fellow worker and truly share what your life in Jesus has been and help him/her see His life in Jesus.

God doesn’t intend your workplace to be where you do the least you can get away with, punch in at exactly when you’re supposed to be there, punch exactly when you’re supposed to, take advantage of every little opportunity and keep your mouth shut and ignore those who work around you. You are there to attest to God’s will in your life and to be an example, often the only one people around you may see, of how God works in a life and brings someone to His Lordship in life and to eternal life.

Wednesday mornings at 10am, I know goofy hour, have a better suggestion? We meet at the coffee shop at the corner of W King St and Beaver Sts in downtown York, Pa., to share about our Christian lives in the workplace. You’re not the only Christian who has to spend so much time in the secular world, this is a chance to share with others who live their Christian lives out in the workplace. Park behind the church 140 W King, walk about 100 yards east to the coffee shop. I will even buy you’re first cup of coffee.