Category Archives: Lutheran Christianity

You cannot “earn” your way to salvation in Jesus, it is a gift through grace.

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When Dr Martin Luther started to raise issues with the Roman Catholic Church (remember he was an Augustinian monk), he wasn’t trying to undermine the church, he was trying to reconcile his Biblical studies and the teachings of the church. The church emphasized what we are supposed to do in order to be “worthy” of salvation. Dr Luther said, No! What can we add to what Jesus did? He was the sacrifice that paid for our sins. What else can we add through anything we could do to Jesus’ full payment for our sins? Are we fully forgiven in Jesus? Yes, we know Him as our Savior, we are baptized into new life in Jesus, we take His Body and Blood, we hear His preached word, we are saved. We are led to salvation by the Holy Spirit, not by anything we do. All of these things are given to us as part of the Body of Christ, His church. We receive baptism, we receive His Body and Blood, we receive/hear His preached Word. Nothing we did, all of what He did.

Dr Luther tries to lead the Christian church back to the original understanding that we are only forgiven and saved in what Jesus does, nothing that we do. Do we do good works? Absolutely, but these are works that are done through us by the Holy Spirit. Any works we do don’t get us any more saved. When we are baptized, the old/dead man is drowned and we are born again, we are a new creature in Jesus. We are now children of God the Father and are His. Nothing that we did, everything that Father, Son and Holy Spirit did for us.

So there were new Christian churches, teaching and preaching that we are wholly saved by what Jesus does and nothing about what we do. But along comes these Americanized Christians who decide that there must be something that we need to add to Jesus’ works in order to assure us of our salvation. “Yet with salvation comes the responsibility to work out our salvation.” (Henry, Richard Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day p 205). This is referred to as “works righteousness” in other words, it’s our works that make us righteous in addition to what Jesus did. There has to be both what Jesus did and what we add to that.The Blackaby’s are great Christian brothers, but there are too many in Christiandom that continue to try to stress what we do and undercut what Jesus has done and does do for His people. The extreme examples being Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses who try to put our salvation entirely on our efforts and try to undercut Jesus entirely. I’ve always wanted to ask one of them, what if I am just not capable of doing anything? Then what? Too bad for me?

In the July 17 devotional (p 199), the issue is that not only are there works that need to be done by us, but we also seem to achieve almost sinlessness. Don’t get me wrong, I am not preaching antinomianism (the belief that since we’re saved in Jesus, then we can pretty much sin at will because our forgiveness is already assured because of our redemption in Jesus). Reality is this, we are never going to be sinless, we just aren’t. Sure I hope that in Jesus the Holy Spirit is going to make me completely pure, holy and sinless. I am completely righteous through Jesus! But I’m not through me, or some bizarre idea that I have achieved sinless perfection. I’m just never going to make that level

The Blackaby’s say “It is exhilarating to be set apart by God, knowing that God observes your consecrated life and is pleased with what He sees.” Sure, absolutely! I do want to lead a God pleasing life and I should not be committing gratuitous sins. But the fact of the matter is that I will be. At the beginning of every Lutheran worship we start with Confession and Absolution. Well if we have just been perfect in our selves for the past week, what do we need that for? Because the reality is that we need forgiveness, as often as possible. We aren’t going to make it through a week without sin. Sure sometimes they’re acts of omission vs commission, but sin nonetheless and we want to be absolved, to be forgiven and not by virtue of having “a special place in God’s heart!” We do! By virtue of what Jesus did, nothing we’ve done. Not by virtue of our works or our sinlessness, solely through redemption in Jesus’ sacrifice.

I’ve talked to many people who have experienced Reformed Christianity (various types of Calvinism, Arminianism), that feel they’ve had to jump through hoops to be “saved”. There’s of course the “accepting” Jesus, Walking down the aisle during worship to declare that you have some how “chosen” Jesus. Ya…, no! “You didn’t chose me, I chose you.” Jesus tells us. Martin Luther put it forthrightly, you are saved by grace, sola gratia, nothing you did, everything Jesus did. Stop fretting whether you’ve done enough works, or too much sin. Jesus died for your sins, you are saved in Him. If He has chosen you to be saved, you are saved! Done deal, lead pipe guarantee, nothing you did, everything He did. That should be incredibly reassuring. If God has done it, it’s done! If part of it is up to us, oh boy, that is a problem! It’s not, you’re saved in Him. Not in you. Praise God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit for that! Sola Fide, Sola gratia, Sola Scriptura, Sola Christi. If you don’t know what that means drop me a message.

The “S” Word Ephesians 5 Mark 7 First St Johns Church Aug 23, 2015

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[For the audio version, please click above link]

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 those who hear and respect God’s Word and not man’s said … AMEN!

God’s plan is just so perfect, it’s a circular sort of situation, that doesn’t mean, as always, that we get what we want all the time, we seem to not understand that relationship is not “hey you jump through hoops for me and then maybe I will love you”. This is what we have in society today and why there is this widespread and deep unhappiness and even resentment. We all submit to Jesus. Submit to your husband, because he is the one that is called to love his wife and not just our squishy kind of love, but the same love Jesus had for the church! Jesus died for the love of His church, men are called to love their wives, agape love, to the point of sacrificing themselves. If your husband will do that for you, doesn’t that suggest respect and submission to him?

Oh baby, anyone preaching on Ephesians 5: 21-33 can just feel the ice cracking around his feet. The “S” word! OHHHHH, no one likes to “S”, S being of course “submit, submission”. Oh no! In today’s world, everyone is an expert, everyone knows it all, we are the most equalitarian society in the history of the earth. Apparently if you are born an American, you are an immediate expert on everything and anything. More and more I’m beginning to see that attitude rather cynically. At my age, you’d think that I would have become pretty much irreparably cynical and yet, more and more I find myself realizing that when I submit to God as His minister, to His people, He does work it out according to His will. Romans 8:28 does seem to get a workout, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Isn’t this part of what the Christian life is all about?

When we say “for those who love God”, doesn’t loving someone mean submitting to Him in order for the good of all concerned? Submission doesn’t mean, just throwing in the towel and mindlessly following. It does mean, at some point you just have to trust that the person.

Certainly the military and corporate environments are a lesson in those areas. There are plenty of times where you’re not sure about something that has to be done, you want to fuss over it a little more, but at some point it’s obvious you have to do what you’re entrusted to do, do it to the best of your ability, so that there will be success. If this is what you’re led to do, it may not be perfect, but it becomes your responsibility to make it as perfect as it can be.

Professor Jeffrey Oschwald observes the shift from chapter 6 to chapter 7. People are running to Jesus, the people: “ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. ESV Mark 6:56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” Oh yeah, they wanted Jesus then. Last week’s sermon after Jesus fed thousands and then said OK, now that you have a full stomach, let’s talk real stuff, you have to eat my body and drink my blood to fill your soul, to have real life. Yea, they weren’t so much into that and decided to pick up and leave. In today’s reading, the people are flocking to him and Jesus has healed a number of people, what happens? The Pharisees and the scribes confront Him over a ticky-tack little issue about the disciples washing their hands. Obviously these guys are trying to provoke a confrontation. It’s about 90 miles from Jerusalem, where they’ve come from, to the northern part of the Sea of Galilee, they’re not going to make that trip lightly, they feel threatened and have decided to find any little thing they can in order to pick a fight with Jesus, to somehow discredit Him. You can certainly see Jesus’ frustration. “Here I am, God the Son, look at all these things I’ve done. I’m trying to get you to see real life and what are you doing? Getting up in my grill about a ticky-tack little issue about washing hands? Really?”: “ESV Mark 7:6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘ This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ESV Mark 7:7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ESV Mark 7:8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” ESV Mark 7:9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” Jesus is referring to the quote in today’s reading from Isaiah: “ESV Isaiah 29:13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, ESV Isaiah 29:14 therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

Obviously Jesus is frustrated and is telling them to get a grip. Are you going to stick to your quibbling little traditions or are you going to see what’s going on here. God the Son is here! It’s time to submit to His will, quit worrying about the petty stuff and see what’s really happening!”

Dr Oschwald observes: “If you had the opportunity for a private audience with Jesus, would you argue about the proper way to wash up before a meal?… Jesus’ opponents seem to have completely lost sight of what really matters before God. The way they ask their question suggests that the root of the problem is that they’ve begun to put human concerns before and above what’s important in God’s eyes. Our initial sympathy with the Pharisees’ concern over clean hands at the table goes right down the drain when we begin to see the real problem in all its seriousness.”[1] We, you and I, often have to stop and ask ourselves; are we going to pick a fight over the trivial stuff or do we look around us and see what Jesus is doing, what great things are happening around us. How to point to, contribute to, focus on what the Holy Spirit is doing and do it to His glory, to the glory of Jesus’ church. How do we proclaim to the world what is going on in His service, to His glory?

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

[1] Rev Dr Jeffrey Oschwald   Concordia Pulpit Resources Vol 25, Part 3, Series B p 39

Jesus the Bread of Life, does that offend you John 6: 51-69 First St Johns August 16, 2015

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[For audio version of this sermon, click on above link]

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 rejoice in eating the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ said …  AMEN!

It’s interesting to note, that this is an issue, the Body and Blood of Jesus, that was there right from the beginning. You might find it interesting that the majority of Christians world-wide, believe that the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, really is about the true Body and Blood of Jesus. It’s American Christianity that has really undermined that believe, albeit abetted by people like Zwingli who was Swiss and James Arminius who was Dutch. None of the churches that come from them have really taken root in Europe, but they have in the United States and other parts of the world. There are variations, the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican/ Episcopalian and Lutheran churches do hear Jesus’ real words in the Scripture. “…Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Saint Paul is very clear, not only is true life only in Jesus’ Body and Blood, but for those who don’t accept Jesus’ words he writes: “ESV 1 Corinthians 11:27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” Now if you take that to the logical extension, if we are taking His Body into our Body, then we sustain, in us, the Body of Christ that we are a part of, in His church. If we, being His church, His Body, the church is the Body of Christ, and we take His Body in order to be forgiven, to have true life in His Body, doesn’t that mean that only those who understand being a part of the true Body of Christ would take His Body to their benefit? If someone is not a part of the Body of Christ, taking His Body is not going to do them any good and St Paul is quite clear: “ESV 1 Corinthians 11:29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ESV 1 Corinthians 11:30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” Not only is this not doing them any good, but according to St Paul will actually do harm. Why, as a Christian pastor, would I allow someone to harm themselves in something that for those who are in Jesus does give forgiveness and does save to eternal life, but for those who don’t believe this, they may be harmed? This quote from the Lutheran Study Bible: “…the Sacrament unites the participants both to Christ’s Eucharistic Body and Blood as well as to their fellow participants. Union with Christ results in union with one another… This unity is emphasized in particular because of the actions of some in Corinth who were destroying the faith of those ‘for whom Christ died.”[1] We want people to be a part of the Body of Christ, His church. I certainly want people to accept and believe the true Gospel, that Jesus sacrificed His Body in order for us to be saved. When we eat His Body we have forgiveness and spiritual strengthening in Him, His flesh and His sacrifice as payment for our sins and to give us the assurance of eternal life in Him, in His Body. That is what His Body and Blood are all about. But for those who think that it is only a remembrance, a ceremony to go through, they are not going to receive His Body to their benefit. St Paul is very clear and I have no reason to think otherwise!

We understand what the issue is today. Let’s face it, at the point that Jesus is telling this to His disciples and this is not just limited to the twelve, no one really understands except for those who the Holy Spirit has given faith in Jesus’ words. Look back at verse 22, it refers to the crowd. This is most, if not all of the people, 5,000 men and at least that many or more of women and children that Jesus just fed with bread and fish. Where it says: “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’ and when Jesus confronts them about their “grumbling” and challenges them, saying: “Do you take offense at this?” The answer is, “Ah, ya, we do take offense” and as verse 66 says: “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” They knew perfectly well what He said, and they were frankly, freaked out about it. I honestly cannot say I blame them for their reaction. Jesus is definitely springing this on them. He really is just blurting this right out of nowhere. However, when Jesus says “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man”, He wasn’t fudging His words, He wasn’t mumbling. When Jesus says “truly”, that’s the way it is. When He says “truly, truly” not only is that the way it is, but ya, it may be a little tough to take, but that is the way it is and you need to accept that the only way you can deal with it is to know that the Holy Spirit will give you the faith to deal with it.

When these disciples picked up and walked away, Jesus didn’t chase after them. “Woe, wait a minute there, hey this is just a lesson, a simile, a symbol, you’re not really drinking my blood and eating my flesh, I’m not trying to gross you out here, just making a point.” Jesus meant what He said, this is my actual Body and this is my actual Blood and the huge crowd that was following Him around exactly understood what He was saying and they just could not accept what He said and realize that God the Son, Jesus, was telling them that ya, there is a whole new paradigm in effect and if you have faith in me, if you are willing to accept what I say, and you play out the rest of the game, you will understand why this has to be the way I’ve told you. Jesus confronted the twelve and point blank challenged them: “Do you want to go away as well?” Peter is the stand-up guy this time and makes it abundantly clear that he accepts what Jesus is saying and while Peter might be a little freaked out about it also, the Holy Spirit acted on Peter at that very moment and gave him the faith that he needed in order to accept this seemingly bizarre statement and hang in with Jesus on it: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” The reading goes on, Jesus then blurts out, “one of you is the devil”, which seems to mean, that ya, you guys get it, but there’s one here that’s just going through the motions. There are many people today who are just going through the motions and do it, but don’t believe it. I have to believe that Jesus gave the big old, fisherman, Peter, a big smile and an arm around the shoulder to hear Peter’s answer. Way to go Peter, someone does get it.

I close with this quote from Cyril of Alexandria: “How he will give them his flesh to eat he does not yet tell them, for he knew they were in darkness and would never in that state be able to understand what is ineffable … But the power of learning suitably follows on those who believe … It was therefore right that faith should first be rooted in them before understanding … And it is for this reason (I suppose) that the Lord refrained from telling them how he would give them his flesh to eat, calling them to believe before they seek. For those who believed, however, he broke bread and gave it to them, saying: ‘Take, eat; this is my body.” … Do you see how he does not explain the mystery to those who had senselessly rejected the faith without investigation? But, to those who believe, he declares it most clearly.”[2]

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

[1] Lutheran Study Bible  p 1960

[2] Cyril of Alexandria quoted in “Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture” Joel Elowsky editor pp 239-240Communion prepartion Jose Montalvo, Pastor Jim Driskell, Bob Seen

The Lord is always encouraging us 1 Kings 19: 1-8 First St Johns August 9, 2015

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[For the audio of this sermon please click on the above link)

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 make a faithful witness to Jesus said … AMEN!

My last sermon I talked about Noah, how God destroyed all the living creatures. Man had become entirely and irredeemably wicked and God had had enough. These people had gone over the top and God, unlike the world that is just in love with “tolerance” which it very loosely applies, God’s tolerance was exhausted. In today’s Old Testament reading we see the same thing on a lesser scale. Quick back story, Jezebel had become Queen of Israel. She was pretty obnoxious and over the top and her husband Ahab, was pretty much of a milk toast, “yes dear, no dear”. In direct defiance of God, Ahab allowed Jezebel to maintain a staff of 450 priests of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. The Jewish Encyclopedia describes some of this “religion”: “there was placed side by side with the Ba’al a corresponding female symbol, the Ashtoreth (Babyl. “Ashtar”) and the relation between the two deities was set forth as the example and the motive of unbridled sensuality. The evil became all the worse when in the popular view Yhwh himself was regarded as one of the Ba’als.”[1] Of course this violates the first two of the ten commandments, you shall worship God and you shall not worship idols. Baal and Asherah are idols, they aren’t “gods”, some evidence would be that no one worships either of them anymore. If they were truly “god” they would certainly be powerful enough to assert their worship. Baal worship is described as: “This pagan nature worship was purposefully described with such graphic sexual language precisely because cult prostitution and sexual mysticism was a big part of the nature worship process. Sexual fertility cults and the desire for a corresponding agricultural fertility were weaved together into a pornographic nature worship scheme that corrupted the entire nation and its people.”[2] Sound familiar? Sound like the world today? It was, straight up, worship that not only allowed, but encouraged any sort of sexual practice. “in addition to sexual abandon, the worship of Baal also incorporated harsh ascetic practices into their nature worship as well. Ecstatic pleasure and bloody pain were used to propitiate the nature gods for the sake of fair weather (1 Kings 18:25-29). Thus, Baal nature worship was completely indulgent with regard to sexual mysticism on the one hand, but overly strict, harsh, and severe on the other hand with regard to ascetic practices, with occasional bouts of human sacrifice along the way (2 Kings 17:28-41).”[3] Obviously this is a violation of the seventh commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery. The commandment is about marital faithfulness and also about fornication, sex between two unmarried people. Obviously in our day and age, there isn’t a “church of Baal”, but the practices of our age are certainly all about what was practiced in Old Testament times by Baal worshippers.

God gave us the ten commandments. He wasn’t mumbling when He put them on stone tablets and gave them to Moses. God, Yahweh, God the Father of Jesus Christ is unequivocally perfect, perfectly holy and will not tolerate sin. We are all sinners, we all have our personal violations of the ten commandments, but we who are in Christ are forgiven, Jesus died for our sins and when we confess and repent of those sins, we are absolved of those sins, we have forgiveness because Jesus died to pay the price for those sins. But while there are those in the world who feel that any and everything should be tolerated, should be allowed, we who are Christians know that while there is sin, and there is forgiveness, that we also offend and fail God the Father when we commit these sins. God will not tolerate anyone who simply flouts His commandments and chooses to do whatever he or she pleases to do. The world around us, tells us that’s silly, but the world has no hope, no promise, no other way to deal with it’s sin and those in the world die to those sins and are eternally condemned.

So we can wag our finger and cluck our tongue and presume to chastise God when He destroys the world because it has become so consumed with its sins, or we can take Him at His word. He gives us the hope and promise of eternal life, the world simply tells us to do what makes us happy and that’s just ok. When you die, you’re dead whatever happens then, well tough luck! A little back story, you might remember, how Elijah set up a challenge with Baal’s prophets? We each sacrifice an ox, I’m sure you’ve seen how huge an ox is, we lay it on the altar and whichever God completely consumes the ox with fire, then that God must truly be God. Well Baal’s priests dance around for hours, finally drop from exhaustion, and nothing, big old bagel, zero, nada. Elijah had a great time just kicking back and telling the priests of Baal how messed up this is. Hey! Baal’s so great, what’s the problem? How come he can’t just burn up an ox? Finally Elijah takes his turn, says a short prayer of about fifty words, then woosh “…Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil and also licked up the water in the trench.” (1 Kings 18:38) Kind of God’s way of putting an exclamation point on the whole event. Then Elijah, following God’s directions, I’m sure with his own men, drives about 990 priests and prophets of Baal and Asherah down the mountain they were on to a creek and kills them all. A little harsh? Not really. These priests along with the queen Jezebel are determined to impose these enormously sinful practices on Yahweh’s people, the people of Israel, essentially condemning them to eternal death and Yahweh will not tolerate it! No more than He tolerates the same behavior today. But, praise God, we have salvation in Jesus, He is our strength, our power, our Elijah who keeps His people away from these grossly immoral practices. He is our redemption, the One who paid the price for our sin. For homework this week, read 1 Kings 18:16-40.

But it does show what a gross biblical ignorance and illiteracy there is today, when you have people, who probably aren’t Christians, making up stereotypes about Christian pastors and Christians in general. Furthermore you see how they are treated by the world in today’s reading. We aren’t to tolerate the gross immorality that we see around us today, we are to speak out. When non-Christians try to stereotype you and basically tell you to shut up, keep it to yourself, they say Christians are supposed to be meek and humble. Well first off they don’t know what they’re talking about. Jesus had no problems holding people accountable for sexual and other sins. John the Baptist called Herod out for marrying his brother’s wife. Heck by today’s standards, that’s a pretty venal sin.  John the Baptist had no problem calling out one of the most powerful men in the country and he lost his head for it. Paul certainly didn’t pull any punches with churches like the Corinthians.

Elijah was faithful to God and His direction, not to the world’s opinion. Elijah was driven out by the world, harassed by the world, and Christians are and will be today. Not because the world is right, but because the world is hateful and ignorant and will do whatever it takes to shut a faithful person up. But God strengthens and encourages us. Can you imagine how Elijah felt? He had been hounded, driven away, threatened with death. He feels abandoned, alone, feels as if he is the only one of Yahweh’s people left. An angel wakes him up, one of Yahweh’s powerful warrior angels, provides him with food and water and rest, and also to remind him that God is watching over him, just as He watches over us when we take an unpopular stand for His Son Jesus and Jesus’ church. The world loves drama, it loves to spite God, it loves to have its own way and it hates anyone who is faithful to the Lord Jesus. We have to accept that, deal with that and trust that God will provide and protect us as He did with Elijah and continue to be a faithful witness to Him in a world that is increasingly hostile to Jesus.

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

[1] http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2236-ba-al-and-ba-al-worship

[2] http://www.theignorantfishermen.com/2010/12/baalisms-suicidal-nature-worship-and.html

[3] Ibid

“El océano es profundo, pero no se acerca a la profundidad del amor de Jesús” First St Johns Génesis 9: 8-17 26 de julio 2015

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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 conocen las promesas de Dios dijo … AMEN

Este es uno de esos pasajes que el mundo le gusta decir es una especie de fábula, la mitología. La iglesia no ha hecho un muy buen trabajo con estos pasajes de Génesis tampoco, dejarlos ser algún tipo de símiles o parábolas. Demasiado a muchos les gusta dar marcha atrás y dicen que en realidad no sucede, pero lo convierte en un buen material de escuela dominical. Los adultos realmente no creen estas cosas. La iglesia ha, esencialmente rechazado, lo que Dios le ha dado para enseñar como verdad. Hubo un Noé, que había un diluvio mundial, que había gente en la tierra que necesitaban ser destruida porque se habían vuelto tan profundamente mal y irredimible y que Dios luego hizo una promesa posterior / pacto con Noé. Cuando Él prometió que Él nunca destruiría el mundo de nuevo, a través de una inundación. Él destruirá al mundo otra vez, como lo vemos en el libro de Apocalipsis, lo que probablemente fue el último libro de la revelación bíblica, pero cuando Él destruye el mundo de nuevo, será por el tiempo final. En su lugar tendremos la resurrección, donde nosotros y el mundo se convertirá en un lugar que Dios quiso que fuera y para que seamos lo que estábamos destinados a ser. No habrá pecado, ni muerte, ni la lucha, no habrá personas que crean, debates falsos artificiales, todos seremos un solo Cuerpo, los agentes de Dios en la creación de un mundo perfecto, en el que habrá pocas limitaciones, donde como yo ” he dicho muchas veces, vamos a tener vida y vida abundante, las palabras de Jesús.

Pero hoy en día, el mundo, Satanás, el amor para secuestrar lo que Dios nos da y aplicarlo a las cosas del mundo. Dios es, obviamente, el más creativo, el elemento más edificante y positivo en la creación. Él creó todo, todos somos más o menos de acuerdo en que, incluso en el mal, caído, mundo, todavía hay increíble belleza, la evidencia asombrosa de genio de Dios, su increíble creatividad. A medida que avanzamos hacia el espacio, vamos a ver más evidencia entonces que ya sabemos. Incluso ahora estamos recibiendo imágenes de la “enana-planeta” Plutón, que ahora es más grande de lo que se pensaba, que está mostrando algunos aspectos sorprendentes de ese planeta. Pero nos encanta vivir en negación acerca de la historia de Noé, porque después de todo, estamos a cargo, que llamamos los disparos. Esta idea extraña que todo es objeto de votación democrática y el mundo no va a terminar porque decimos así, tenemos la tecnología, que fue más allá de la voluntad de Dios, si su voluntad era siempre un factor, para empezar.

El arca de Noé y el diluvio mundial es un evento que muchos sienten que se limita a esta fábula de un pueblo en el Oriente Medio y realmente ha tenido ningún efecto más allá de ese pequeño grupo de personas. Eso también es una falacia que el mundo le gusta vivir en la ignorancia de. Prácticamente todos los pueblos del mundo tienen una historia acerca de una devastadora, todo inundación destructiva y un hombre o de la familia que fueron guiados por Dios para salvar a un remanente de personas y animales. La evidencia geológica que se ha descubierto en época muy reciente, apunta a tal inundación. La evidencia histórica y geológica, de nuevo, destruye la mentira mundana / satánica que esto es sólo una fábula, lo que realmente sucedió.

La ventaja de la inundación son las palabras de Jehová a Noé: “Yo establezco mi pacto con vosotros, que nunca más será cortada toda carne con aguas de diluvio, …” esta es la primera alianza de Dios, Su primer contrato, promesa con Su la creación. Sus promesas subsiguientes serán Abraham, David, y finalmente Jesús, el Hijo de Dios, que en su palabra dice lo que voy a repetir en pocos minutos: “De la misma manera tomó también la copa, después de haber cenado, diciendo: “Esta copa es el nuevo pacto en mi sangre. Haced esto todas las veces que la bebiereis, en memoria de mí.” (1 Corintios 11:25) Este es el pacto que Jesús hace con nosotros, su pueblo, a los que se les ha dado una nueva vida, se han salvado de la muerte del pecado en el mundo. Su promesa “Porque todas las veces que comáis este pan y bebéis esta copa, anunciáis la muerte del Señor hasta que venga.” (1 Corintios 11:26) que regresará, que él salvará a los que están en él, su cuerpo , su iglesia, y ellos serán restaurados a la verdadera vida en la resurrección. Después de Noé, Él le dice a Abram, que va a ser padre de muchas naciones, un anciano que no tenía hijos en absoluto. Él le dice a rey David que el Mesías, el Salvador del hombre-tipo no sólo se nace y librar a su pueblo, pero que el Mesías, que el ungido de Dios será descendiente directo de David.

Pero el mundo, a su manera cursi para minar continuamente a Dios, tiene un símbolo que Dios dijo es un “pacto eterno”, de la vida, de un mundo de esperanza y promesa y el mundo se ha convertido en un símbolo de sus propias concupiscencias, y su odio a Dios y su voluntad, que es el símbolo del arco iris.

Como he dicho antes, no debería sorprendernos que el mundo hace cosas como esta, es el mundo, es que no son salvos y condenado. El mundo no tiene la promesa, sin esperanza. Como el príncipe del mundo, Satanás sabe su destino, él sabe que está condenado a la destrucción eterna junto con los que también se niegan, desafiar y odian a Dios. Satanás no tiene escrúpulos para tomar aquellos que también están condenados y utilizarlos como peones para continuar su lucha contra Dios en el mundo, para guiarlos a utilizar símbolos de Dios en el mal camino, para negar las enseñanzas de Dios, como Noé, y convertirlas en símbolos que nos llevan a creer que es todo acerca de nosotros, que somos Dios, que podemos hacer lo que nos plazca, sin importar las consecuencias para nosotros y los que nos rodean.

El no creyente menea el dedo a Dios y dice “¿cómo pudo Dios destruir la tierra, Él debe ser el mal!” Van a disponer de una historia de destrucción, si eso les da una razón para vomitar su odio contra Dios. Pero no van a aceptar que Dios es grave, Él tiene un pueblo a quien Él quiere ahorrar y establecer un mundo que será perfecto. Él está mostrando todos nosotros, Él no va a tolerar un mundo de pecado y de la base lleno de gente mala. Si las personas siguen siendo tan deliberadamente mal, como lo vemos nosotros todo alrededor en este momento en la historia, Él destruirá de nuevo y dejar a los que están condenados a enfrentarse a la pena de sus pecados, que es la condenación eterna.

Dios Padre es una, misericordioso, compasivo Dios amoroso. Ha compartido sus promesas con nosotros, Su Palabra, la Biblia está llena de esperanza, la promesa. Su Hijo Jesucristo vino para que tuviéramos vida y vida más abundante, no sólo en este mundo, pero donde realmente importa, para toda la eternidad. Nosotros, los que están en Cristo sabemos que tenemos la promesa de que por medio de él tenemos el perdón, necesitamos el perdón, porque Dios es verdaderamente santo, recto y justo. Él no tolera el pecado y en Su creación en la Nueva Jerusalén, Él no va a tolerar el pecado. Su nueva creación sólo estará poblado por aquellos que son salvos en Jesús. Nosotros, que somos justos, sólo en Jesús, por el precio que pagó, su vida perfecta, en rescate por muchos, eso nos da la promesa de la vida eterna.

¿Qué otras cosas hace el mundo que nos prometen, ¿qué otros símbolos, ¿qué otros fracasos del mundo qué toleramos porque, bueno acabamos todos queremos llevarnos bien? No estamos aquí para comprometerse con el mundo, porque el mundo es malo, pecaminoso, en serio mal estado. No compre en la historia del mundo, porque tenemos la verdadera historia. El mundo le gusta que nos diga que la historia de Noé y Jesús son fábulas, que las historias de Darwin, Marx y el Kardashians son reales y eso es lo que debemos confiar en. Tome un paso de las tonterías del mundo, puede que todos Llevarse bien? En realidad, no realmente. Llegamos al mundo con el amor y la misericordia de Jesús, el mundo ama a pensar que es tan tolerante, pero cuando Jesús, la cruz y su iglesia viene encima de usted puede ver el odio y veneno en los ojos del mundo. A pesar de que nosotros tenemos que seguir amando, servir en la compasión, la misericordia, sino que también tiene la justicia, asegurar que nuestro testimonio es siempre para Jesús y no en las cosas del mundo. Esto no va a hacernos popular, pero Juan nos dice: “No se sorprenda, hermanos, que el mundo os aborrece.” (1 Juan 3:13) El mundo odiaba y todavía odia a nuestro Señor Jesús, que va a odiar los que son fieles en Él. Pero no importa lo que piensa el mundo, no importa lo que piense Jesús. El mundo puede tomar los símbolos del cristianismo y tratar de corromperlos y tratar de hacerlo en nombre de la tolerancia, pero eso es una mentira recta desde el infierno y otro intento de Satanás para corromper a la iglesia y la gente de Jesús. Así que escribes en tu diario acerca de lo que realmente significa el arco iris, así como otros pactos de Dios, y cómo se puede utilizar para mostrar a los demás el amor de Cristo que hay en ti.

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

The Ocean is deep but doesn’t come close to the depth of the love of Jesus Genesis 9: 8-17 First St Johns July 26, 2015

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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 know the promises of God said … AMEN

This is one of those passages that the world likes to say is some kind of fable, mythology. The church hasn’t done a very good job with these Genesis passages either, letting them be some sort of similes or parables. Too many like to back off and say it didn’t really happen, but makes for good Sunday school material. The adults really don’t believe this stuff. The church has, essentially rejected, what God has given it to teach as truth. There was a Noah, that there was a world-wide flood, that there were people on the earth who needed to be destroyed because they had become so profoundly evil and irredeemable and that God then made a subsequent promise/covenant with Noah. Where He promised that He would never destroy the world again, through a flood. He will destroy the world again, as we see in the Book of Revelation, what was probably the last book of biblical revelation, but when He destroys the world again, it will be for the final time. In it’s place we will have the resurrection, where we and the world will be made into a place that God intended it to be and for us to be what we were intended to be. There will be no sin, no death, no fighting, there won’t be people creating artificial, phoney debates, we will all be one Body, God’s agents in creating a perfect world, where there will be few limitations, where as I’ve said many times, we will have life and life more abundant, Jesus’ words.

But today, the world, Satan, love to hijack what God gives us and apply it to the things of the world. God is, obviously, the most creative, the most uplifting, positive element in creation. He created everything, we are all pretty much in agreement that even in the evil, fallen, world, there is still amazing beauty, staggering evidence of God’s genius, His incredible creativity. As we go into space, we will see more evidence then we already know. Even now we are receiving pictures from the “dwarf-planet” Pluto, which is now bigger than was thought, that is showing some amazing aspects of that planet. But we love to live in denial about Noah’s story, because after all, we’re in charge, we call the shots. This bizarre idea that it’s all subject to democratic vote and the world’s not going to end because we say so, we have the technology, we moved beyond God’s will, if His will was ever a factor to begin with.

Noah’s ark and a world wide flood is an event that many feel is limited to this one fable from a people in the middle east and really has had no effect beyond that tiny group of people. That is also a fallacy that the world likes to live in ignorance of. Virtually every people in the world have a story about a devastating, all destructive flood and a man or family that were guided by God to save a remnant of people and animals. The geological evidence that has been discovered in very recent time, points to such a flood. The historical and geological evidence, again, destroys the worldly/Satanic lie that this is only a fable, it really did happen.

The upside to the flood is Yahweh’s words to Noah: “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood,…” this is God’s first covenant, His first contract, promise with His creation. His subsequent promises will be to Abraham, to David, then finally Jesus, God the Son, who in His word says what I will be repeating in a few minutes: “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor 11:25) This is the covenant Jesus makes with us, His people, those who have been given new life, have been saved from the death of sin in the world. His promise “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26) that He will return, that He will save those who are in Him, His Body, His church, and they will be restored to true life in the resurrection. After Noah, He tells Abram, that he will be the father of many nations, an old man who had no children at all. He tells King David that the Messiah, the Savior of man-kind will not only be born and deliver His people, but that Messiah, that anointed one of God will be David’s direct descendant.

But the world, in its cutesy way to continually undermine God, takes a symbol that God said is an “everlasting covenant”, of life, of a world of hope and promise and the world has turned it into a symbol of its own lusts and its hatred of God and His will, that is the symbol of the rainbow.

As I’ve said before, we shouldn’t be surprised when the world does things like this, it is the world, it is unsaved and doomed. The world has no promise, no hope. As the Prince of the world, Satan knows his destiny, he knows he is doomed to eternal destruction along with those who also refuse, defy and hate God. Satan has no compunction to take those who are also doomed and use them as pawns to further his fight against God in the world, to guide them to use God’s symbols in an evil way, to deny God’s teachings, such as Noah, and to turn them into symbols that lead us to believe it is all about us, that we are God, that we can do whatever we please, regardless of the consequences to us and those around us.

The non-believer wags his finger at God and says “how could God destroy the earth, He must be evil!” They will stipulate to a destruction story if that gives them a reason to spew their hatred against God. But they will not accept that God is serious, He has a people whom He does want to save and establish a world that will be perfect. He is showing all of us, He is not going to tolerate a sinful and base world filled with evil people. If people continue to be so willfully evil, as we see all-around us at this time in history, He will destroy it again and leave those who are condemned to face the penalty of their sins which is eternal condemnation.

God the Father is a loving, merciful, compassionate God. He has shared His promises with us, His Word, the Bible is filled with hope, promise. His Son Jesus Christ came that we would have life and life more abundant, not only in this world, but where it truly matters, to all eternity. We who are in Christ know that we have the promise that through Him we have forgiveness, we need forgiveness, because God is truly Holy, righteous and just. He does not tolerate sin and in His creation in the New Jerusalem, He will not tolerate sin. His new creation will only be populated by those who are saved in Jesus. We who are righteous, only in Jesus, because of the price that He paid, His perfect life, a ransom for many, that gives us the promise of eternal life.

What other things does the world promise us, what other symbols, what other failures of the world do we tolerate because, well we just all want to get along? We are not here to compromise with the world, because the world is wrong, sinful, seriously messed up. We do not buy into the world’s story, because we have the true story. The world likes to tell us that the story of Noah and Jesus are fables, that the stories of Darwin, Marx and the Kardashians are real and that’s what we should trust in. Take a step away from the nonsense of the world, can we all get along? In reality, not really. We reach out into the world with the love and mercy of Jesus, the world loves to think that it’s so tolerant, but when Jesus, the cross and His church comes up you can see the hate and poison in the eyes of the world. Despite that we do have to continue to love, serve in compassion, have mercy, but also have righteousness, assure that our witness is always for Jesus and not the things of the world. This is not going to make us popular, but John tells us, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” (1 John 3:13) The world hated and still hates our Lord Jesus, it’s going to hate those who are faithful in Him. But it doesn’t matter what the world thinks, it does matter what Jesus thinks. The world can take the symbols of Christianity and try to corrupt them and try to make it in the name of tolerance, but that is a lie straight from Hell and another attempt by Satan to corrupt the church and Jesus’ people. So write in your journal about what the rainbow really means, as well as God’s other covenants, and how you can use them to show others the love of Christ that is in you.

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

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

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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

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[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

God knows all, does all. It would be smart for you to recognize that.

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There are two traits of God that we, all people, just can’t seem to accept. One that God is transcendent, that He is not limited by time and space. God makes His own time and His own space in His will. We are limited, we have a finite amount of time and space. He doesn’t He moves the way He needs to and in His own time. We often have this view of God that comes to us from paganism. The “gods” were just as much subject to time and space as mortals. The only difference is the “gods” were immortal, men aren’t.
The second characteristic we as Christians know about God is that He is immutable. He never changes, He has always been completely perfect, knows all, sees all. He doesn’t change, what would He change to if He is already completely perfect?
We change and no doubt when we go through different, perhaps difficult times in our life, we think He is somehow changing, when He is actually changing us.
Let’s get over ourselves and realize that God is changing us for our good. Frankly people look like real suckers when they buy into the world’s goofy view that somehow we need to teach God. If you believe that I have a bridge you might like to buy. God works in our life, not vice versa, do you really think that if you didn’t exist that God would somehow not be able to function? Really? Do you not see how goofy that is? And yet people act as if it depends on them. No! Our God is omniscient He is all knowing. He is omnipresent, He knows all. He is omnipotent, that is all powerful. He is transcendent He created time and space, He controls time and space, not vice versa,like time and space controls us. He is immutable everything there is to know He created, there is nothing He doesn’t know or can be taught.
The world today actually thinks it knows all and it knows so little, we act as if we know more than God. How can we know more than He who created all. Doesn’t it make more sense to look to Him who really does know and trust what He does and get over this goofy idea that we really have anything to offer other than being a living sacrifice to God Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to serve His people under His Lordship. That is what makes sense.

Real truths need to be poured over and really absorbed. Not superficially like the world.

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Listening to Radical Grace Radio Podcast which is done by a Lutheran pastor and lay person down in Florida. Matthew Pancake says the Magnificat never meant much to him until he had to learn it for choir. We learn things by repeating them over and over again. He says he suddenly realized what it was saying.
Hmmmm isn’t it so true. That is what liturgical worship is all about. Liturgy is deep, it is full of meaning. If people would stop treating it as just rote and really think about what it’s saying, what it means in our life, it will impress Biblical teachings and elements, God’s Word into our soul.
The problem is that our world wants a blunt ten second sound byte, tell me and I will decide whether I want it or not and move on. Yea, and we wonder why we are becoming more superficial and frankly crude. No one really makes us think, except that the church should be making us think through Biblical teaching and through fundamental Christian worship. But we want everything dragged down and diluted to make it easy for us. Sorry, but church is not ding-dong school, like too much public education. It’s intended to push, to make you think, to constantly have God’s Word hard-coated into your very soul.
God is not superficial, He gives us what we need in order to be pressed into our brain, heart and soul. For us to repeat over and over and when those times of trial come, we have God’s teaching right where we need it. When we have it hard coated it comes right back to us when it matters. We have taken the time to repeat it, to think about it, to let the Holy Spirit have time to really drill it into our head and soul. Something that we don’t do in our superficial, tell me something new and easy right now, world.
Liturgy, Bible study, prayer, may all seem rote, even tedious. But when it really is impressed on our brain, heart and soul, through regular worship, repetition, prayer then we truly begin to live in a way that is responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and become less responsive to the leading of the world. We begin to realize more and more how deep God’s Word is and how superficial and tedious all the blah, blah of the world really is.