Dear Readers,
There is a passage in the Bible that describes the relationship between God and you and me. This passage is in the letter St. Paul wrote originally to the Church of Ephesus. Ephesus was a thriving city in what is now Turkey. It is on the southwest coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
The one thing that St. Paul was teaching was "we are saved by means of God's grace." There is no better passage that describes God's grace and how it is, than in Ephesians 2:1-10.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to this worldly age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also. But God, who is abundant in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. By grace you are saved! He also raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift - not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation - created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
This is a great passage about bondage to sin and being freed to live in grace. The human nature is sinful. God writes in Psalm 51, "Into sin my mother conceived me." Our natural existence is based upon satisfying our own selves. We are naturally disobedient, we are naturally stuck in the rut of selfishness and satisfying what we want only. We are bound to this. We cannot work our way out of it. Without God, we are not free. And now, God sent Jesus into our lives. Jesus brings the freedom of grace from sin. Grace is the instrument God uses to bring salvation. By the miracle of conversion, we are freed into a life of grace. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts and souls and minds and to believe in Jesus and receive the grace that Jesus gives. Jesus gives us grace freely. It is not earned by what we do or how good we are. Grace is the great equalizer of people in the sight of God. We are all equally freed from sin, condemnation, and wrath. God the Father, looks at us through God the Son Jesus Christ eyes. We are forgiven. We are changed. So now our works take on a whole new light and purpose. Our works are done so that will fulfill the Will of God. There are many works that can be done. We are created so that the works are done. For example, I cannot do all types of work. I am created in a special way in order to do some works. You are created in a special way in order to do some other works that will complement what I do. And there are many more believers created by God in special ways that will complement all what we do to the glory of God.
So it is grace that frees us from the bondage to sin. Grace given to us by Jesus Christ, frees us to experience the life of God. It is His free gift. Let us live in grace.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
The Freedom of Love
Dear Readers,
I want to share briefly with you the freedom of love. Love is a wonderful thing. Yet love, as it is used currently, is a lousy word. Where else can the phrase, "I love you, man" be used in order to coerce a beer from a friend. The use of the word, love, is so badly used today.
Yet love is freeing. Here the Word of God from 1st John 3:16-21
This is how we have come to know love; He laid down His life for us. Whe should also lay down our lives for ur brothers. If anyone has this world's goods and see his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him - how can God's love reside in him? Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth; that is how we will know we are of the truth, and will convince our hearts in His presence, because if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Dear friends, if our hearts do not dondemn us we have confidence before God ...
We know love. We know the love that God gave to us through the self sacrificing actions of Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son into the world to save the world. God demonstrated His love for us in this. For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is true love. This is the love that God gave and it has freed us from sin, death, the influence of Satan, and hell. We believe and know that God loves us so much, that no sacrifice was too great to save us from our sins and selves.
Then we demonstrate and live that love that God lives in us. We "pay it forward" to others who are in need. We demonstrate God's great grace so that others will see Him in us. Are we perfect at it? By no means. We will fail to show love "24/7." That is when our hearts condemn us. But the Holy Spirit is there in convicting us that we are not living in the freedom of God's love. He causes repentance in us so that we are once again connected to God's love. Then we are freed again to serve Him and our fellow man.
That is the freedom of love.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
I want to share briefly with you the freedom of love. Love is a wonderful thing. Yet love, as it is used currently, is a lousy word. Where else can the phrase, "I love you, man" be used in order to coerce a beer from a friend. The use of the word, love, is so badly used today.
Yet love is freeing. Here the Word of God from 1st John 3:16-21
This is how we have come to know love; He laid down His life for us. Whe should also lay down our lives for ur brothers. If anyone has this world's goods and see his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him - how can God's love reside in him? Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth; that is how we will know we are of the truth, and will convince our hearts in His presence, because if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Dear friends, if our hearts do not dondemn us we have confidence before God ...
We know love. We know the love that God gave to us through the self sacrificing actions of Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son into the world to save the world. God demonstrated His love for us in this. For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is true love. This is the love that God gave and it has freed us from sin, death, the influence of Satan, and hell. We believe and know that God loves us so much, that no sacrifice was too great to save us from our sins and selves.
Then we demonstrate and live that love that God lives in us. We "pay it forward" to others who are in need. We demonstrate God's great grace so that others will see Him in us. Are we perfect at it? By no means. We will fail to show love "24/7." That is when our hearts condemn us. But the Holy Spirit is there in convicting us that we are not living in the freedom of God's love. He causes repentance in us so that we are once again connected to God's love. Then we are freed again to serve Him and our fellow man.
That is the freedom of love.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Truth of the Resurrection
Dear Readers,
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!
There is so much truth contained in that age old Easter greeting. In the Lutheran tradition and practice, the above sentences are said from the Pastor to members and from the members back to the Pastor as a form of greeting. This greeting is packed full of truth. It is true that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. "How do you know that?" some people may ask. Some continue, "After all, the only evidence is a book that was written by men. Men are sinful, so therefore the product of their writing must also be sinful. It's not a reliable witness for the truth."
My reply to a statement like that is, "The truth of the matter is, I can't 'prove' what happened to Jesus with any sources outside of the Bible. But the truth of the resurrection is not dependent upon evidence outside the Bible. The truth of the resurrection is dependent upon what is contained inside the Bible. I use a phrase to describe my understanding and belief in the truth. That is, "If it's in the Bible, and God inspired sinful men to write God's truth, then God can inspire the writer to write the truth without any errors or fabrication." To me, the truth that the resurrection happened is contained in God's Word. Now I must ask a related question, "Why is it necessary for the resurrection to be true?"
The resurrection must be true, as St. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 15, "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the first fruits; afterward, at His coming, the people of Christ. Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. ..." (1st Corinthians 15:20-24 Christian Standard Version) What Paul says for us is, if Christ didn't rise from the dead, then our faith is of no value. Paul also says that Christ did raise from the dead. It is true. There is no doubt.
And Christ's resurrection leaves us with such a great joy. Christ's resurrection guarantees that we will rise with Him. Christ's resurrection guarantees that we live with Him is great grace and mercy, until we are raised from the dead. And finally, Christ's resurrection guarantees that we, who are sinful by birth are forgiven by Jesus' death and a new life was created for us when Jesus rose from the grave.
And the greeting that we use is an exclamation point to emphasize the truth. The truth of, "Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!"
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!
There is so much truth contained in that age old Easter greeting. In the Lutheran tradition and practice, the above sentences are said from the Pastor to members and from the members back to the Pastor as a form of greeting. This greeting is packed full of truth. It is true that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. "How do you know that?" some people may ask. Some continue, "After all, the only evidence is a book that was written by men. Men are sinful, so therefore the product of their writing must also be sinful. It's not a reliable witness for the truth."
My reply to a statement like that is, "The truth of the matter is, I can't 'prove' what happened to Jesus with any sources outside of the Bible. But the truth of the resurrection is not dependent upon evidence outside the Bible. The truth of the resurrection is dependent upon what is contained inside the Bible. I use a phrase to describe my understanding and belief in the truth. That is, "If it's in the Bible, and God inspired sinful men to write God's truth, then God can inspire the writer to write the truth without any errors or fabrication." To me, the truth that the resurrection happened is contained in God's Word. Now I must ask a related question, "Why is it necessary for the resurrection to be true?"
The resurrection must be true, as St. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 15, "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the first fruits; afterward, at His coming, the people of Christ. Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. ..." (1st Corinthians 15:20-24 Christian Standard Version) What Paul says for us is, if Christ didn't rise from the dead, then our faith is of no value. Paul also says that Christ did raise from the dead. It is true. There is no doubt.
And Christ's resurrection leaves us with such a great joy. Christ's resurrection guarantees that we will rise with Him. Christ's resurrection guarantees that we live with Him is great grace and mercy, until we are raised from the dead. And finally, Christ's resurrection guarantees that we, who are sinful by birth are forgiven by Jesus' death and a new life was created for us when Jesus rose from the grave.
And the greeting that we use is an exclamation point to emphasize the truth. The truth of, "Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!"
Monday, April 06, 2009
Going Back to the Roots
Dear Reader,
I'm going to change my train of thought today from what I have been doing. I looked at the title of the blog, "And the truth shall set you free." I realized that I haven't been focusing on that theme in many of my previous posts. Don't get me wrong, the truth of what I've shared with you, does set you free. Yet I haven't been as deliberate to point that out as perhaps I should have.
That is going to change today, and I pray, for the future posts of this blog.
It is my belief that a fundamental part of who is God is that He is truthful. The Bible is full of God being truthful. God didn't, and doesn't, have a whole lot of tact. As a matter of fact, God is extremely blunt. God isn't "politically correct." God is painfully truthful. And that is good for all of us. We need people to be painfully truthful with us, don't we? We need brutal truth sometimes because we will never grow out of our comfort zones, we will not mature without some painful, brutal truth. We may not like it. We probably won't want it. But it's not a matter of want. It is a matter of need. We need God to be brutally honest and truthful with us. We need ourselves to be brutally honest with ourselves.
Please, please, please, do not misinterpret me. I do not want to convey the truth of God as "mean," "angry," "selectively punishing groups of people." God wants us to know that He is not mean, nor angry, nor punishing a certain group of people. God is just, right, and sent His punishment for sin on a SINGLE PERSON. That single person is His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible presents the truth of God and what God ultimately wants from all of us. It is written down in the book of John, chapter three.
There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Him [Jesus] at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him." Jesus replied, "I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "But how can anyone be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked Him. "Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?" Jesus answered, "I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it come from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." "How can these things be?" asked Nicodemus. "Are you a teach of Israel and don't know these things?" Jesus replied. "I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony. If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven - the Son of Man. Jesus as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, bu tha the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the ON and Only Son of God. This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deed were evil For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his woks may be shown to be accomplished by God." Christian Standard Version, John 3:1-21
Jesus was truthful about God's plan to Nicodemus, as well as to us. The Savior of the world is Jesus. God's wrath, judgment, and grief about sin was taken out upon Jesus, not us. God is not angry with us. God wants us to believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world. God wants us to live in His promises of life, light, and immortality. God wants us to live a joyous, praise filled, life that lives by means of the light of God. In other words, we follow the will and direction of God because of what Jesus did for us. This is the truth. This is the freedom that we have because of the truth.
So, from now on, I will be more deliberate in my presentation of the truth; the truth of God for our freedom from sin, death, and the power of Satan.
Talk to you soon, freed people.
I'm going to change my train of thought today from what I have been doing. I looked at the title of the blog, "And the truth shall set you free." I realized that I haven't been focusing on that theme in many of my previous posts. Don't get me wrong, the truth of what I've shared with you, does set you free. Yet I haven't been as deliberate to point that out as perhaps I should have.
That is going to change today, and I pray, for the future posts of this blog.
It is my belief that a fundamental part of who is God is that He is truthful. The Bible is full of God being truthful. God didn't, and doesn't, have a whole lot of tact. As a matter of fact, God is extremely blunt. God isn't "politically correct." God is painfully truthful. And that is good for all of us. We need people to be painfully truthful with us, don't we? We need brutal truth sometimes because we will never grow out of our comfort zones, we will not mature without some painful, brutal truth. We may not like it. We probably won't want it. But it's not a matter of want. It is a matter of need. We need God to be brutally honest and truthful with us. We need ourselves to be brutally honest with ourselves.
Please, please, please, do not misinterpret me. I do not want to convey the truth of God as "mean," "angry," "selectively punishing groups of people." God wants us to know that He is not mean, nor angry, nor punishing a certain group of people. God is just, right, and sent His punishment for sin on a SINGLE PERSON. That single person is His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible presents the truth of God and what God ultimately wants from all of us. It is written down in the book of John, chapter three.
There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Him [Jesus] at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him." Jesus replied, "I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "But how can anyone be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked Him. "Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?" Jesus answered, "I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it come from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." "How can these things be?" asked Nicodemus. "Are you a teach of Israel and don't know these things?" Jesus replied. "I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony. If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven - the Son of Man. Jesus as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, bu tha the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the ON and Only Son of God. This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deed were evil For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his woks may be shown to be accomplished by God." Christian Standard Version, John 3:1-21
Jesus was truthful about God's plan to Nicodemus, as well as to us. The Savior of the world is Jesus. God's wrath, judgment, and grief about sin was taken out upon Jesus, not us. God is not angry with us. God wants us to believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world. God wants us to live in His promises of life, light, and immortality. God wants us to live a joyous, praise filled, life that lives by means of the light of God. In other words, we follow the will and direction of God because of what Jesus did for us. This is the truth. This is the freedom that we have because of the truth.
So, from now on, I will be more deliberate in my presentation of the truth; the truth of God for our freedom from sin, death, and the power of Satan.
Talk to you soon, freed people.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Trust in God to Serve
Dear Reader,
"Be all that you can be." was the slogan for the Army. Now I think that it's, "An Army of one." You've heard phrases like, "Climb the corporate ladder" and "You are the master of your own destiny." Society values achievement and status. We were told from almost the womb that we can be anything and anyone that we set for ourselves. We live in a very individualistic society. Now I'm not advocating that success and achievement are bad things. But as Jesus, "Not so with you."
Our lesson is from Mark 10:35-45.
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask you." "What do you want me to do for you?" He asked them. They answered him, "Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptize with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We are able." they told him. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead it is for those it have been prepared for." Then the other 10 disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John. Jesus called them over and said to them, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life - a ransom for many. (Christian Standard Bible Translation)
The world's philosophy is simple. Be as good as you can, nobody can stop you from reaching your goals except you. You are the most important person. The implication is you will do things only if those things elevate you or your status among other people. The philosophy of the day of James and John was the same. But Jesus was about to turn the way that they think and the way the world thinks upside down. Jesus says to us, greatness is dependent upon service. If you want to be a great person among people, serve them. If you want to be "the top dog," be a slave to people. This is so foreign to people. Yet it is Jesus' basic understanding for his people. Self glorification or doing things in order to receive honor and glory from other people is not the way to be great in his eyes. Serve people, care for them, tend to their needs, and put others ahead of you is the way Jesus wants his people to act.
Now the next question is, "Why?" Jesus tells us. Jesus didn't come into the world to be glorified by the world. Jesus didn't come into the world to "toot his own horn." Jesus came into the world to serve us by means of giving up of his life. Jesus is the sacrifice for all our sins, especially in this case, the sin of ego and pride in our own achievements. Jesus came and took away our sins and sinfulness and replace them with his grace; his wonderful grace and love and self-sacrificing service for the sake of all the people of the world. Because Jesus did this, we serve. We serve people and their needs. Jesus gave to us what we needed most; forgiveness of sins and a new resurrected life. Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we put the needs of others ahead of ourselves.
Does this mean we are at the beck and call of every person's wants and desires? No. Jesus wasn't. He didn't give James and John what they wanted. Jesus gave them what they truly needed. Our service is the same. We serve people by giving to them the free grace of God so that their sins are forgiven and their lives are restored. We also give them what they need in this world in order to live. Things such as health awareness, food gifts, financial advice even. As we meet their needs, we also are in a position to give them what they truly need as well. We take our service as we trust in God to serve us with forgiveness and life.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
"Be all that you can be." was the slogan for the Army. Now I think that it's, "An Army of one." You've heard phrases like, "Climb the corporate ladder" and "You are the master of your own destiny." Society values achievement and status. We were told from almost the womb that we can be anything and anyone that we set for ourselves. We live in a very individualistic society. Now I'm not advocating that success and achievement are bad things. But as Jesus, "Not so with you."
Our lesson is from Mark 10:35-45.
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask you." "What do you want me to do for you?" He asked them. They answered him, "Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptize with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We are able." they told him. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead it is for those it have been prepared for." Then the other 10 disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John. Jesus called them over and said to them, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life - a ransom for many. (Christian Standard Bible Translation)
The world's philosophy is simple. Be as good as you can, nobody can stop you from reaching your goals except you. You are the most important person. The implication is you will do things only if those things elevate you or your status among other people. The philosophy of the day of James and John was the same. But Jesus was about to turn the way that they think and the way the world thinks upside down. Jesus says to us, greatness is dependent upon service. If you want to be a great person among people, serve them. If you want to be "the top dog," be a slave to people. This is so foreign to people. Yet it is Jesus' basic understanding for his people. Self glorification or doing things in order to receive honor and glory from other people is not the way to be great in his eyes. Serve people, care for them, tend to their needs, and put others ahead of you is the way Jesus wants his people to act.
Now the next question is, "Why?" Jesus tells us. Jesus didn't come into the world to be glorified by the world. Jesus didn't come into the world to "toot his own horn." Jesus came into the world to serve us by means of giving up of his life. Jesus is the sacrifice for all our sins, especially in this case, the sin of ego and pride in our own achievements. Jesus came and took away our sins and sinfulness and replace them with his grace; his wonderful grace and love and self-sacrificing service for the sake of all the people of the world. Because Jesus did this, we serve. We serve people and their needs. Jesus gave to us what we needed most; forgiveness of sins and a new resurrected life. Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we put the needs of others ahead of ourselves.
Does this mean we are at the beck and call of every person's wants and desires? No. Jesus wasn't. He didn't give James and John what they wanted. Jesus gave them what they truly needed. Our service is the same. We serve people by giving to them the free grace of God so that their sins are forgiven and their lives are restored. We also give them what they need in this world in order to live. Things such as health awareness, food gifts, financial advice even. As we meet their needs, we also are in a position to give them what they truly need as well. We take our service as we trust in God to serve us with forgiveness and life.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Trust in God to Lead
Dear Readers,
Have you ever thought that best person to follow was yourself? We all have at one point in time or the other. The nation of Israel at the time of Moses did. More accurately, they didn't want to follow God's lead. If there was a pattern of behavior in the Old Testament, it is this one. The nation of Israel was saved by God either from their own sins or the oppression of others, then they went off in their own direction either ignoring of God's lead or following the lead of other people and their false gods, then God sent calamity and punishment in their lives, they cried out to God for forgiveness and rescue, and then God withdrew His punishment and restored the nation of Israel to step one again. You'd think that they would get an idea that they need to follow God's lead and not wander off. You'd think that they would learn. They didn't. If you ever get a chance to read the book of Judges, at the very least, you will see that pattern develop.
And that pattern of behavior is no different today than it once almost six thousand years ago. We, believers of God in Christ Jesus, fall into the same trap of behavior. We sin against God and follow our own devices and desires. We create and have "false gods too." God sends to us a "wake up call." He points out our sins and sinfulness as well as the consequences of those sins. We then realize our sins and sinfulness and cry out to God to forgive us of all our sins. And here is where the pattern breaks. Instead of God sending "judges" to lead the people out of sin and death, God sent Jesus Christ, His one and only Son into our world and our existence in order to forgive our sins in His ONE TIME act of love. Jesus came into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him so that the world would believe in Jesus Christ, God's Son. God the Father sent His Son as a one time sacrifice for all sins of all the people of every age all over the world.
Because God forgave us of our sins, we follow God to wherever He is leading us. And where is that? With the ancient nation of Israel, God was leading them home to the promised land. He led them through Moses and Joshua, the many judges, priests, scribes, pharisees. God was leading the ancient Israelites to the land flowing with milk and honey, the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God, through Jesus Christ, is leading us believers in Jesus who are the new nation of "Israel," to the ultimate land flowing with milk and honey. God is leading us home to heaven.
Someday, we'll get there. So what do we do now? Put your trust into the hands of a loving and merciful God, who is full of grace and love. Follow Him to the cross and live in the shadow of the cross. Trust in God to lead you home.
Talk to you next week.
Pastor Hemsath
Have you ever thought that best person to follow was yourself? We all have at one point in time or the other. The nation of Israel at the time of Moses did. More accurately, they didn't want to follow God's lead. If there was a pattern of behavior in the Old Testament, it is this one. The nation of Israel was saved by God either from their own sins or the oppression of others, then they went off in their own direction either ignoring of God's lead or following the lead of other people and their false gods, then God sent calamity and punishment in their lives, they cried out to God for forgiveness and rescue, and then God withdrew His punishment and restored the nation of Israel to step one again. You'd think that they would get an idea that they need to follow God's lead and not wander off. You'd think that they would learn. They didn't. If you ever get a chance to read the book of Judges, at the very least, you will see that pattern develop.
And that pattern of behavior is no different today than it once almost six thousand years ago. We, believers of God in Christ Jesus, fall into the same trap of behavior. We sin against God and follow our own devices and desires. We create and have "false gods too." God sends to us a "wake up call." He points out our sins and sinfulness as well as the consequences of those sins. We then realize our sins and sinfulness and cry out to God to forgive us of all our sins. And here is where the pattern breaks. Instead of God sending "judges" to lead the people out of sin and death, God sent Jesus Christ, His one and only Son into our world and our existence in order to forgive our sins in His ONE TIME act of love. Jesus came into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him so that the world would believe in Jesus Christ, God's Son. God the Father sent His Son as a one time sacrifice for all sins of all the people of every age all over the world.
Because God forgave us of our sins, we follow God to wherever He is leading us. And where is that? With the ancient nation of Israel, God was leading them home to the promised land. He led them through Moses and Joshua, the many judges, priests, scribes, pharisees. God was leading the ancient Israelites to the land flowing with milk and honey, the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God, through Jesus Christ, is leading us believers in Jesus who are the new nation of "Israel," to the ultimate land flowing with milk and honey. God is leading us home to heaven.
Someday, we'll get there. So what do we do now? Put your trust into the hands of a loving and merciful God, who is full of grace and love. Follow Him to the cross and live in the shadow of the cross. Trust in God to lead you home.
Talk to you next week.
Pastor Hemsath
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Trust in God's Wisdom
Dear Reader,
"These are the times that try men's souls." Do you know who wrote that? I was pondering the times, the hardships financially that many people are in, this sentence popped into my head. At that time, I didn't know who wrote it. My first thoughts were either Winston Churchill or FDR. So I "google'd" the phrase and I was totally surprised. Thomas Paine, the Revolutionary author of "Common Sense" wrote it. It is the first sentence of the first paragraph of the booklet, "The American Crisis."
This phrase from Paine over 230 years ago, still apply to us today. These are times that sorely test our souls today. We look to our leaders, both corporate and government, for guidance and wisdom in order to lead us out of these trying times. And our leaders are saying to us, "We don't know what to do. We don't know how to fix this. We are as scared as you are." The wisdom and intelligence of man in this crisis is failing. And people are asking, "Who's going to lead us through these times?" When the times are tough, and human wisdom fails, we turn to the wisdom of God. The text for us this week is from 1st Corinthians 1:18-31.
For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for sings and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who He called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom, because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame to strong. God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things - the things viewed as nothing - so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But from Him you are in Christ Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.
We believe that God through Jesus Christ, will lead us through these times that are trying our souls. We believe that God will be the light in the darkness. We believe that God is our guide, not only in troubling times, and also in times of great joy and prosperity. We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, guides us believers through the problems we are currently facing.
Won't God make the life of the believer immune for all trials? No, God will not transport us out of troubling times. God will lead us by means of His grace, love, mercy, and wisdom, through the problems that we all humans face. If God had a weakness, that weakness is much stronger than any of man's strengths. If God was foolish, His foolishness is much wiser that the wisest man or woman in human existence.
So, does God tell us what to do in this financially troubling times? Does His Word tell us what to do? There is much from God and His Word that can lead us in these times. Yet I think God says much more about placing our total lives and existence and experiences into His hands. His hands have saved us from our sins and sinfulness. His hands have given to us His wisdom to follow. His hands have given to us expertise in certain areas to use as tools when we follow him. We don't trust our own expertise, because it will ultimately fail. We trust God to lead us so that we use our expertise to serve Him, to serve others, and then to serve ourselves. We trust our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, in order to lead us in our daily lives.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
"These are the times that try men's souls." Do you know who wrote that? I was pondering the times, the hardships financially that many people are in, this sentence popped into my head. At that time, I didn't know who wrote it. My first thoughts were either Winston Churchill or FDR. So I "google'd" the phrase and I was totally surprised. Thomas Paine, the Revolutionary author of "Common Sense" wrote it. It is the first sentence of the first paragraph of the booklet, "The American Crisis."
This phrase from Paine over 230 years ago, still apply to us today. These are times that sorely test our souls today. We look to our leaders, both corporate and government, for guidance and wisdom in order to lead us out of these trying times. And our leaders are saying to us, "We don't know what to do. We don't know how to fix this. We are as scared as you are." The wisdom and intelligence of man in this crisis is failing. And people are asking, "Who's going to lead us through these times?" When the times are tough, and human wisdom fails, we turn to the wisdom of God. The text for us this week is from 1st Corinthians 1:18-31.
For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for sings and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who He called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom, because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame to strong. God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things - the things viewed as nothing - so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But from Him you are in Christ Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.
We believe that God through Jesus Christ, will lead us through these times that are trying our souls. We believe that God will be the light in the darkness. We believe that God is our guide, not only in troubling times, and also in times of great joy and prosperity. We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, guides us believers through the problems we are currently facing.
Won't God make the life of the believer immune for all trials? No, God will not transport us out of troubling times. God will lead us by means of His grace, love, mercy, and wisdom, through the problems that we all humans face. If God had a weakness, that weakness is much stronger than any of man's strengths. If God was foolish, His foolishness is much wiser that the wisest man or woman in human existence.
So, does God tell us what to do in this financially troubling times? Does His Word tell us what to do? There is much from God and His Word that can lead us in these times. Yet I think God says much more about placing our total lives and existence and experiences into His hands. His hands have saved us from our sins and sinfulness. His hands have given to us His wisdom to follow. His hands have given to us expertise in certain areas to use as tools when we follow him. We don't trust our own expertise, because it will ultimately fail. We trust God to lead us so that we use our expertise to serve Him, to serve others, and then to serve ourselves. We trust our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, in order to lead us in our daily lives.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
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