Sharing What's Really Important

Friday, December 23, 2016

The Wonders of Christmas Calling Us to Faith

Dear Fellow Children of God,

I enjoy watching Christmas movies during the holiday season. Usually I prefer the older movies to the newer ones. One of the Movies I watched this past week was “Miracle on 34^th Street.” Perhaps you know that the plot of this movie revolves around the struggle of a young girl and her mother to believe in Santa.

The saving actions of God call us to believe. But Christmas is a call to believe in God’s actions in real, historic events. The birth of Jesus is not a made up story. Jesus is a man who lived in history. Scripture is not the only source that attests to the historic life of Jesus, but He is also spoken of by many outside the Bible, even by those outside the Christian church.

The events of Christmas call us to believe, not so much that Jesus was born and lived on this earth, but rather they call us to believe that this baby born in Bethlehem was indeed the Son of God Himself, the Savior of the world. To accept this wonderful, world-changing truth takes more than just historic knowledge. Such faith means accepting and trusting that God created and loves the world, and that God is working even now in Jesus to love us and to save us. Faith and belief that God is working is more difficult than just knowing the facts of history.

But, the fact that our holy and righteous God broke into our sinful world and into our troubled lives is such great good news that God gives help to people who might struggle to believe. You see, the people in Jesus’ time also struggled with believing in what God was doing. Thankfully, God’s help to people at the time of Jesus’ birth still opens our eyes in wonder and sparks faith in our hearts.

Consider the wonders of that first Christmas, the special actions of God that help doubting hearts and minds to realize that, “Yes, God is really acting to bring His comforting and saving love into our painful world.”

First, in order to share this good news God sends angels, lot of angels to lots of different people! Angels appear to Zechariah and to Mary in Luke 1, and to Joseph in Matthew 1 and in Matthew 2. Then a whole army of angels appears to common working class shepherds pulling the night shift in Luke 2. The Greek word “angel” means “messenger.” The message of God from all these angels is that God has good news! This baby, born in Bethlehem, is God’s Son and the Savior of the world.

If the angels weren’t special enough, God comes to us in a once in history manner, with Jesus being delivered in birth by a virgin, a young woman who had never had a sexual relationship with a man! That is impossible in any other situation. But, as the angel Gabriel tells Mary, “nothing is impossible with God,” (Luke 1:37) And this seemingly impossible birth not only allows Jesus to be our Savior because he was born without the sinful nature with which we all struggle, but this virgin birth also calls us in wonder to gaze at the marvels of God before us.

Then the child Jesus is visited by foreign dignitaries. Magi, or wise men, come from a part of the world east of Israel following a star whose properties are unique. This special Christmas star points the wise men and us to the Lord’s loving acts of salvation. This star and these special visitors also shout out that God is doing something really special.

But this is not all, when Jesus is 40 days old and presented in the temple according to Jewish law, the elderly believer, Simeon, and the aged prophetess, Anna, sing the praises of God because of His wondrous, merciful, acts of salvation in the birth of Jesus.

All of these people had questions. But all of them, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, Anna, and Simeon, not only came to trust God’s world saving acts of love in Jesus, but these people all spoke and sang His praises as well.

So, this Christmas God calls us to faith as we again hear and consider all the signs of God that He is acting mightily to give His love in Jesus. God doesn’t just want us to know Jesus was a man who lived 2000 years ago. He wants us to believe and to trust that this baby is the promised Messiah, the son of God Himself, become a man. God wants us to know that Jesus brings God’s love and joy, His forgiveness and peace, His salvation and eternal life to us.

Believing all this can be difficult at times. But, think about it for a minute. If your heart is warmed and your eyes grow misty at a fictional story of Christmas magic on the TV screen, should not the special signs and messengers of God in history move our hearts to faith and to thankfulness and to praise?

Christmas blessings to all of you from me and from my family.

A Child of God, Finding Joy and Faith in God’s Special Signs and Messages Surrounding Jesus’ Birth,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. Please remember all the opportunities to receive God’s Christmas miracle in Jesus and to give Him praise through our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worship services. (See below)

P.P.S. I have no fish pictures this week. This past Monday I was in the hospital with Kathy for surgery on her back. The surgery was postponed and later performed on Friday morning. I am thankful for all prayers for full and quick recovery.

P.P.P.S. If you got my devotion late last week, I was again struggling with my e-mail server because of the number of e-mails I send. The devotion was written, but would not send. However, I think I have that figured out again.

****

ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

****

Friday, December 16, 2016

Finding Christmas Joy and Faith in Christmas Music

Dear Fellow Children of God,

I was struck recently by an insightful comment at a meeting of the Palmer Kiwanis Club. I was asked to arrange speakers for the December 13 meeting of the club by inviting some local pastors who would share opportunities for Christmas worship and activities. After the short presentations, the pastors led our club in singing a few Christmas carols. One of our club members then shared how much she enjoyed the traditional carols, which in some ways have been missing in recent years. “Maybe we’ve heard enough about ‘Gramma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’ I have missed the traditional carols.” In fact, this Kiwanian and another had sung Christmas carols recently while ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. Their singing brought many comments of appreciation from those shopping that day.

As a Christian who seeks to live my faith as a child of God, one of my favorite ways to celebrate Advent and Christmas is the music. You may have favorite Christmas hymns or carols. Maybe you like the children’s cradle song, “Away in a Manger.” Perhaps your soul yearns for the heavenly peace of “Silent Night.” (That is my favorite.) Possibly you are moved by classical music like G.F. Handel’s “Messiah.” Or, has your heart been renewed in faith by traditional songs from other nations like the English carol, “Once in Royal David’s City,” or the French carol, “The First Noel,” or even by the German children’s hymn, “O Come Little Children?”

A favorite Christmas carol of many is the Isaac Watts classic, “Joy to the World.” This hymn shares the joyful good news that God Himself has come in the birth of the infant, Jesus. But, did you know that Watts’ inspiration for this hymn is found in the Old Testament, in Psalms 98 and 96? Listen to the first two verse of this Psalm 98.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

In this Psalm the Psalmist calls for singing songs of praise to God, because He has saved all nations by His righteous acts. If you were to open your Bible at home and read the rest of Psalm 98, or Psalm 96, you would also read how the seas and the rivers, the mountains and the fields, praise God for His righteous salvation. This Psalm teaches that there are many reasons for giving praise to God. Watts then reminds us of these reasons in the well-loved Christmas carol, “Joy to the World.”

One of the joys of the Advent and Christmas celebrations is that there are so many wonderful musical expressions of God’s Christmas love. This love is expressed not only in the familiar tunes, but also in the words of Godly truth. We can also find such heart-touching beauty in songs not quite as well known. In worship this past Wednesday evening my heart was moved again by the words of a lesser known hymn, “Once He Came in Blessing.”

Once He came in blessing, All our sins redressing;

Came in likeness lowly, Son of God most holy;

Bore the cross to save us; Hope and freedom gave us.

Come, then, O Lord Jesus, From our sins release us.

Keep our hearts believing, That we, grace receiving,

Ever may confess You, Till in heav’n we bless You.

Those words, speak to my mind and touch my heart. But, such reaction to songs of praise has been noted throughout history. Martin Luther taught others the wisdom of St. Augustine, “He who sings, prays twice.” How wonderful when God can touch our hearts and light the fire of faith again through the words and music of a song!

I saw the blessings of Christmas music again last Sunday. A smaller than usual group of St. John folk went Christmas caroling. We went to the homes of 4 different members of our congregation who, because of health or age issues, can’t get out of their homes the way they once could, or are unable even to leave home at all without help. This year we didn’t see the tears we often see. But, we were welcomed with heart-felt joy and appreciation by children of God who were glad to know they had not been forgotten. And we were welcomed with heart-felt joy and appreciation by children of God who were reminded by these traditional carols that God has a special love for them which even caused Him to send His Son to be born as a humble child, and to grow to save us from our sin.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. (Psalm 98:1) Which Christmas carol is your favorite?

A Child of God, Finding Joy and Faith in Christmas Music,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. In Christmas Eve worship this year we will again speak the Christmas prayers of some of these famous carol, after we have sung them.

P.P.S. Here are some pictures from fishing last Monday. Gerry Zellar and I caught a limit of rainbows on a local lake. Two of my grandchildren later DEVOURED the two biggest trout that evening! https://goo.gl/photos/hb7Cc7gLYQdn6qho9

****

Friday, December 9, 2016

Celebrating Christ's Birth Through Christmas Giving

Dear Fellow Children of God,

How do you celebrate Christmas? We all know about the trees and the decorations and the lights and the Santas. There are times that the celebrations of Christmas become so elaborate that those celebrating can forget why they celebrate. But, there are times that the celebration can help point, not so much to Christmas as a holiday, but to Christ, to God’s gift of His Son. Then the celebration can be helpful to a Christian seeking to grow in their faith.

One practice that can help us remember the gift of God’s Son, Jesus our Savior, is the sacrificial giving of gifts to those in need. I expect most people remember the story in Matthew 2 of the visit of the magi, or the wise men. These foreign dignitaries famously brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. Some scholars suggest these gifts later helped Mary and Joseph pay for their flight into Egypt, escaping Herod’s efforts to kill Jesus. But, these were no small gifts. It took a sacrifice by the magi to travel to Bethlehem, and it took a sacrifice by the magi to give these expensive expressions of worship to the promised Messiah and King.

There are also other Scriptural examples of gift-giving as part of a celebration of God’s goodness. Do you know the story of Esther, which the Jews celebrate today as the Festival of “Purim?” In this event from History, Haman, the second in command in the Persian kingdom, had set a day to exterminate the Jewish people. But, working through Esther and through her uncle, Mordecai, God turned the tables on this evil man, Haman. This was such a great deliverance from such an imminent danger that Mordecai, now acting in a role of leadership, commanded the people to celebrate. Here is what we read in Esther 9:20-22.

20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

It always strikes me that the celebration which Mordecai called for to remember God’s deliverance in Esther, is similar in many ways to how Christians celebrate Christmas today.

So, do you give gifts to the poor? In all honesty, many who are needy do not want others to think of them in that way. Yet, there are still many opportunities to share with others the blessings God has given us. Maybe you have put money in a Salvation Army bucket over the holidays. Such giving is a gift in the tradition of Esther. Maybe you have sent a check to an organization that helps those with various needs. Kathy and I really enjoyed the “Gift Idea Book” from Compassion International this year and gave a gift to provide training and Bibles to children around the world learning about Jesus.

There truly are many ways to share God’s abundant love with others. For example, this past Wednesday our Confirmation students decorated Christmas stockings. For many years we have given these stockings to agencies that help people during Christmas. By this personal attention to decorating the stockings, these 6^th-8^th grade students are sharing themselves, and sharing Jesus with others.

Also, at St. John we are taking an offering for our “Local Mission Fund”h which funds our efforts to help those in need throughout the year. And, this Sunday, December 11, we will have a group going Christmas caroling. Those singing are not professional singers. But we will be in the homes of people who struggle to get out. Again, we will have the opportunity to share Jesus in song, and to share ourselves with those who have physical struggles.

Christmas is about Christ. When the celebration of “Christmas” is bigger than the Savior then we need to make some changes in the way we celebrate. But, when the celebration points to the greatest gift of all, to the gift of God’s promised Savior for those hopelessly lost in sin, then the celebration can bless us and bless others.

I encourage you to find a way to give to help others this Christmas, and by giving to remember the greatest gift ever given, God’s Son, Jesus!

A Child of God, Finding Joy in Giving to Others,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. Here are some pictures from the Confirmation Christmas Stocking efforts this past Wednesday, https://goo.gl/photos/sDKct8urjGjq5fwD9

P.P.S. I did go fishing last Monday, but in spite of standing in the below zero weather in the wind, I did not get a bite.

P.P.P.S. Another way to give this Christmas is to make a special gift to your congregation. Please see below.

****

Friday, December 2, 2016

Repent?!

Dear Fellow Children of God,

I made a mistake when I wrote last week’s devotion. I always like to base these devotions on Scripture so that it is God speaking through these devotions, more than myself. When writing last week about anticipation and waiting for the Lord I wanted to include verses 5 and 6 of Psalm 130, which speak eloquently of waiting for God with anticipation.

Just for the record, Psalm 130:5-6 says, “5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”

Truthfully, this is only one of many mistakes I make on a regular basis. Sometimes these mistakes are simply a matter of forgetfulness. But, sometimes our mistakes are not just something we wish we did better. Sometimes our mistakes hurt others. I can think of a number of such mistakes in just the last week.

Unfortunately, our struggle as children of God is much deeper than just making mistakes. We have a basic struggle with evil going on inside us at all times. If you read Romans 8, or Galatians 5:16-26, you can find a description of the struggle inside us between the Spirit and the flesh. With His Spirit God calls us to live in obedience, in love, in faith, goodness, peace, and joy. God calls us to be the people He created us to be.

But, Scripture also tells us that God’s righteous plan for our lives is opposed inside us by the will and deeds and desires of our flesh. This force of evil calls us to attitudes and deeds of “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-21) You may see some behaviors in this list from Scripture you don’t think apply to you. But, have you ever been hateful? Have you been involved in discord, or encouraging division among people? Have you ever been jealous, or thrown a fit of anger? Has your personal ambition led you to selfish actions? We could go on with these uncomfortable questions. But you see there is a battle going on inside each one of us. There are forces of evil fighting the Spirit of God in each of our lives. Unfortunately, there are occasions for each of us in which evil wins and God’s will for our lives is not accomplished!

So, let’s think again about waiting in anticipation for the coming of Jesus, not only with His Christmas coming, but with His daily coming, and His final coming. How do we “wait for the Lord?” How do we prepare for Him in our lives? This coming Sunday many churches will be reading God’s answer to that question as they hear about John the Baptist. John’s answer to our question, “How do we prepare for the Lord’s coming?” is found in Matthew 3:2. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Repentance is not just feeling badly about something we did that hurt another or that hurt us. Repentance is intentionally turning from the self-serving deeds of the flesh toward God, and toward his will, His power, and His grace.

Repentance is not easy. This means admitting there is something in my life that opposes God’s will and should not be there. We don’t like admitting our problems, our weaknesses, and failures. But, our sin is real! Repentance means actually doing something to turn from these acts of evil, turning toward God and His will. Or, as one of the devotions I recently read bluntly asked me, ‘What sin in your life will you work to eliminate?”

Thankfully, even though this repentance takes life-long effort on our part, we are not alone. God melts our hearts with His love when He cleanses us through the sacrifice of Jesus. God does send his Holy Spirit by His Word and through His Sacraments to live in us and to fight the desires of our sinful flesh. God is with us in the battle.

So, this Advent and Christmas season, as we prepare for the coming of God in our lives with eager anticipation, let’s remember God’s plan for that preparation. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

A Child of God, Having LOTS to Change in My Life,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. Last Sunday after worship we got to take a picture of our family to share with family and friends. Here is that picture, if you want to look . . . https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMSvxSOztvNbEZwjFF0fpxWlEtRgVJaC-ZAkdb7

****

Friday, November 25, 2016

WAITING in Hope and Anticipation for Jesus

Dear Fellow Children of God,

Do you remember the excitement of Christmas as a child? That excitement did not just come from receiving presents on Christmas day. Waiting also caused its own excitement. There was an anticipation, a sense of expectation, a sense of hope, that came from waiting for that special day and for its wonderful celebration. People used to talk about having “the Christmas spirit.” I believe the excitement of the preparation for the Christmas celebration and all that means was part of that “Christmas spirit”.

Traditional Christians don’t just go from Thanksgiving (or Halloween like in the stores) to Christmas. We celebrate a season of Advent for four Sundays before Christmas. Advent comes from Latin words meaning “he comes to us.” Advent is that time of anticipation, of excitement even, that Jesus is coming.

In worship we reflect that waiting for Jesus and that excited anticipation with the advent wreath. Each week of the four Sundays in Advent we light one more candle on the wreath. On the first week of Advent we light the candle of hope. Then on the second Sunday we light the candle of faith, then the candle of joy on the third week, and the candle of love on the fourth week. Finally, on Christmas we light that white CHRISTmas candle in the middle of the wreath celebrating that Jesus has at last come. Advent is the time we wait with hope and anticipation for Jesus.

Sometimes waiting can be difficult. We all know what it means to be impatient. But, there is good reason to celebrate Advent and to wait on celebrating Christmas. For one thing, historically God’s people waited a really long time for the Messiah to finally come. God promised Adam and Eve that He would send someone to defeat their enemy, the devil. They hoped the Savior would come in their lifetime. But Adam and Eve, and all the Old Testament people of faith, waited hundreds and thousands of years trusting in God, for the Messiah to come.

We also celebrate Advent because, in a sense, we are still waiting. We are waiting for Jesus to come again. While Jesus did come that first Christmas, while He did die and rise to defeat sin and Satan and death, we have not yet fully received God’s kingdom of heaven. Look at the pain and troubles and death in the world around us today. So, we are still waiting for Jesus to come again and we are waiting for all the victory and joy He will bring.

We may not like to wait, but ultimately there are some things worth waiting for. Sometimes the waiting, though it may seem difficult, or even painful, points us to how precious and important the object of our waiting is. Advent points us to God’s promise that He gives Himself, His help and strength, His righteousness, love, and grace. God gives Himself and life with Him forever for all who accept Jesus in faith.

Christmas is right around the corner. But, FIRST, we celebrate Advent. We wait for, we anticipate, and we are even excited that Jesus has not only come once, but that He will come again. The season of Advent reminds us that Jesus is worth waiting for.

A Child of God, Waiting in Hope and Anticipation for Jesus,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. My second day of ice fishing this year, this past Monday, was a good day on the ice. https://goo.gl/photos/yRYLWft4YgdirWo59

****