Dear Fellow Children of God,
As pastor I have the privilege and responsibility of sharing
with people what God has told us in His word.
Sometimes God’s word brings comfort.
But, other times God’s word calls His children to consider their actions
in ways those people don’t wish to consider.
I’ve often had folks tell me, “That’s old-fashioned. We live in a new day.” You see, sometimes we trust our wisdom and
our feelings more than we trust God and His wisdom.
This week I found out, again, that personally I am not so wise. I went to Kenai last Sunday, July 9, to
preach and to install a new pastor at Star of the North Lutheran Church. (By the way, I am extremely excited about the
new pastors coming to Alaska. But more
about that next week.)
Since I was on the Kenai Peninsula, I decided to take my
boat and do some fishing. I performed a
wedding in Wasilla on July 8, and drove to Kenai later that night staying with
Wayne and Mary Mize so that I could be there to preach the next morning. I left my boat in their yard.
Around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, when all the church
services were over, I went back to the Mize’s and hooked my boat up to tow it
to the cabin of Pastor George Rakos where I was going to stay and fish. I got the keys for the boat and the locks out
of my tackle box, I locked the boat and trailer onto my truck, and drove
away. While I was driving I wondered if
I had put the keys back. I looked in my
rear view mirror and saw that the tackle box was closed and thought I may have
put the keys back.
But, when I got to Pastor Rakos’ cabin and looked in the
tackle box, my keys weren’t there. I thought
I had probably left them on the bumper.
I expected my keys may have been in the Mize’s yard, or maybe the keys
were on the road somewhere in the 20 miles between the Mizes’ home and Pastor
Rakos’ cabin. I felt foolish and
frustrated.
Then I went to unload my boat. What did I find on my bumper? My keys!
They were right where I had left them.
They had not blown off the bumper, or bounced off the bumper. I felt foolish, but now I also felt thankful. Pastor Rakos told me, “You’ve had a key story
to tell about me for four years. Now I
have a key story to tell on you for the next four years!”
How
foolish and unwise we all can be. And
yet sometimes, we think we are wiser than God?!
How many times do we wonder why God let something happen? Why does God give laws that are different
than the way people think today?
I find
comfort and a reality check in I Corinthians 1:21-25. “21 For
since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God
was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who
believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we
preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of
God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's
wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.”
We all wonder about what happens in our world and in our
lives. God’s answer truly is His love in
Jesus. Think about this! For the Lord of Creation to suffer and die
does not seem to make sense or to be wise.
But, in truth and love and in wisdom, God sent His Son to save us. By
our power, through our wisdom, we would be lost in our foolishness and sin. But, in the surprising wisdom and love of God,
wisdom which is found in the cross, God calls us to faith, forgives our
foolishness and sin, and saves us.
God has a loving reason to give us the guidance of His law
and the assurance of His love in Jesus.
The commandments have been given to us for a reason. God’s love is sure, even when we aren’t sure
of His love. We may not always
understand God’s reasons, but we should never doubt His wisdom.
A
Child of God, who is not always very smart
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Here are some pictures
from the installation of Pastor Dustin Atkinson at Star of the North, Kenai, on
July 9. https://photos.app.goo.gl/0Clg67Vl9nK7nIit1
P.P.S. Here are some
pictures from our fishing trips. We did
not catch any salmon. They were not in
very well yet. But Pastor Tony Schultz
and I enjoyed a day of relaxing and trying to catch fish on the river. https://photos.app.goo.gl/DV4KUn0eSxmjfkmg2
We did go halibut fishing with Mike Sweeney’s cousin, Fred
Vasilie. We had a great time with Fred
and his family, AND we caught some halibut.
Here are some pictures from that trip.
******
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 do not want to receive this
e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for
this message.
******
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