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

 

 

****

 

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.

 

****

 

Thanksgiving

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Which is your favorite holiday?  Christmas?  Easter?  Thanksgiving?  Perhaps you know, that Thanksgiving is different from these other holidays.  Christmas and Easter celebrate events of importance in Scripture.  Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and Easter His rising from the dead.  But Thanksgiving does not celebrate a specific scriptural event.  Thanksgiving is a national holiday and was established by decree of our country’s leaders, by decree of congress and various presidents. 

 

Have you ever read the decree of George Washington which established the first Thanksgiving celebration for our country?

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection, aid and favors. . .Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, and for all the great and various favors which H has been pleased to confer upon us."       -           George Washington, 1789

 

So, the Thanksgiving holiday is an opportunity to remember all the grace and goodness of God, especially His eternal grace and love in Jesus.  As we are told in the Psalms, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  (Psalm 118:1 and other psalms).  God is so good, and we have so many reasons for thanks!

 

But, Thanksgiving is also perhaps especially an opportunity to give thanks for the temporal blessings God has given us in our country.  The Thanksgiving holiday is also an opportunity to pray for God’s continued grace and direction and blessings on our country.

 

God has blessed people of all times in the countries where they live.  Governments are established to provide law and order so that God’s people can live as His children.  And, every land has good things to provide to its inhabitants, as God Himself provides daily bread.

 

But, living in our country, in the United States of America, and celebrating a holiday established by our own government, what blessings cause you to give thanks for this land and for this country?  Giving thanks for our own country can be dangerous, because we could end up patting ourselves on the back in pride, rather than giving humble thankfulness to God for His goodness. 

 

But, there ARE obvious blessings we have received in America.  So, for which blessings through our country are you thankful?  For the wealth of the land?  For the opportunity for prosperity? 

 

The words of the Declaration of Independence point me to the greatest reason I praise God in our nation.  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  Personally, I am thankful for freedom, for the freedom of speech, for the freedom of the press, for the freedom to assemble.  I am especially thankful for the freedom to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, as Jesus calls us to do in John 4. 

 

Here is why that is so important to me.  In 2 Timothy 2:2 God calls us to pray for our leaders “so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”  God intends for government to provide citizens the opportunity for peaceful and quiet lives so that we can then worship and serve our Lord in godliness and holiness.  The freedom to worship accomplishes God’s intent for government, so that we Americans then have the opportunity to do what God intends for us to do, to worship and serve Him.  Thank you, Lord, for these freedoms! 

 

Thanksgiving Day is not so much a religious holiday as a National Holiday.  Nevertheless, it is good to give thanks to God for His blessings in our country.  And, it is good to pray for God’s direction, His grace, and His continued blessings for our country.

 

A Child of God, Thankful for the blessings of God in America,

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  An opportunity for Thanksgiving worship will be offered at St. John on Wednesday evening, November 23, at 7:00 p.m.

 

P. P.S.  Here is a picture from the baptism last Sunday of Jessica Schoener and her son Bridger Schoener.  https://goo.gl/photos/Zoajq4fzq2HMd48B8

 

P. P.P.S.  I did go ice fishing last Monday for the first time this fall, but only caught one small fish, and threw it back.

 

****

 

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.

 

****

Thankful the Lord is God

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

This past week I visited the homes of a number of people who were seriously ill, or home bound for some reason.  In order to bring strength in the midst of trials I read Psalm 46, one of my favorite Psalms.  When we look at verses 1-3 of Psalm 46, I think a person can see why these words of God are appropriate in times of personal crisis.

 

“1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

 

In other words, when I am in trouble God has not left me.  In fact, God is “an ever-present help in trouble.”  When I really need Him, He doesn’t just help.  He is an ever-present help.  When my world is falling apart and it seems “the earth gives way”, God has not forgotten me.  His love in this life and His gift of eternal life in Jesus can be, and should be, my “refuge and strength!”  Ultimately, when trouble comes I can face those trials because God loves and strengthens and helps me.

 

Sometimes we are all surprised by the trials of life.  But, the Lord has not promised us a world with no troubles.  The world God originally created was good.  But God’s children, through the deceit and encouragement of our enemy, the devil, rebelled and acted in pride.  Through this rebellion and pride, our world was afflicted and cursed with selfishness, disobedience, pain, trouble, and death. 

 

God knows we face suffering, pain, and trouble because we live in a sinful and rebellious world.  (For example read Psalm 50:15, John 14:1-2, John 16:33, Romans 8:35-39, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.)  So, knowing we live in a world of trouble, true wisdom is not found in trying to escape reality.  True wisdom is finding how we can live with integrity, with faithfulness, and with character in those times of trouble.  Again, God says we can face life’s troubles because HE is our refuge and strength.

 

As I was reading through Psalm 46 with our people this week, in the background to their trials was the whole drama of the national election.  I was struck with how this Psalm also spoke to the election surprise many experienced this week.

 

“6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  8 Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.”

 

In other words, kingdoms rise and fall.  Leaders come and go.  Political turmoil and surprises are nothing new.

 

In the midst of this turmoil, however, God acts.  Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to save the world from its selfishness and sin.  When we rebelled, God fought that rebellion in love.  As kings and nations move to exert power in acts of war, God acts in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to defeat the forces of sin and death.  In fact, the ultimate reality for life is the love of God.   So, we can face the trials of life in the strength of His love.  We can face illness, we can face life or death, we can face political turmoil and nations rising and falling, because God is “an ever-present help.”

 

That is why God tells us, 10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

Life can overwhelm us.  Many can and do claim power.  But, only the Lord is God.  So we can be still in the noise of this world.  11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

A Child of God, Thankful The Lord is GOD!

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

****

 

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.

 

****

 

Praying for My Leaders and Praying for My Country

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

November is the month of our national Thanksgiving celebration.  Often I will write in November about all the reasons we have for giving thanks to our gracious Lord.  But this year, November is also the month of a national presidential election. 

 

And this year we have an election that seems to defy previous American history.  I have heard complaints from many about this presidential race.  But, the detailed negative descriptions of the candidates I recently read from the previous president of our denomination, President Jerry Kieschnick, cemented in my mind how different this election is.  Many are worried for our country because of those who are running for office.  I confess that my desire to exercise my Christian faith through voting in this election is seriously challenged as well.

 

However, God gives us His wisdom and advice when facing political concerns.  “1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4) God’s plain and simple wisdom for His children is that we pray for our leaders.

 

Actually, praying for our leaders makes sense no matter who the leader is.  When we have leaders we respect we need to pray for them.  Being a leader is always difficult.  Leadership requires making decisions for people, often making decisions for people who have different opinions or who disagree.  Even a person of character and integrity needs the help and wisdom of God to lead a city, or a state, or a nation.  No wonder, when God asked young King Solomon what he desired as Solomon began serving as king, Solomon asked God for wisdom to rule.  (1 Kings 3:4-15)

 

Therefore, how much more do leaders whom we don’t totally trust need our prayers!  Leaders whose wisdom and integrity are in question can really use the help and direction of God.  Paul actually wrote these words about praying for leaders when Nero was emperor of the Roman Empire.  If you know anything about Nero, you know he seriously needed the guidance of God.  I can only imagine how bad life would have been for God’s people in Nero’s time if they had not been praying for him.

 

As an American, and as a Christian, I intend to exercise my right and responsibility to vote.  (Please remember, there are more races and issues on this ballot than just the presidential election.)  But, I will continue to spend much more time praying to the Lord, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, that He will guide our leaders and give them wisdom to follow His guidance.

 

Did you know Jesus shared how He exercised His leadership as God’s promised Messiah?  After some foolishness by His disciples, Jesus teaches them, saying, “. . . You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  (Matthew 20:25-28)  Jesus’ leadership style was not one of authoritative, forced compliance.  The leadership of Jesus was sacrificial servanthood, even to the point of giving His life on the cross.

 

My prayer this November is that our gracious God makes servants out of our leaders.

 

A Child of God, Praying for my Leaders, and for my Country,

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

P.S.  Maybe we do have a reason for thanks this election month.  We can be thankful we’ve never had a Presidential election like this before.

 

P. P.S.  Don’t forget that Daylight Savings time ends this Saturday evening.  We “fall back” one hour for Sunday, November 6.

 

 

 

 

****

 

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.

 

****