The following is my newsletter article for April 2012 for Tree of Life Lutheran Church in Garland, Texas.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”                      John 11:25-27

To All the Saints of God at Tree of Life,

God’s most gracious blessings and peace be yours by the power and surety of the resurrection of all flesh through faith in the One Risen, Ascended, and soon to Return Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

In just a few days we will gather together in God’s house to celebrate the hope and joy of Easter.  There will be great food, fellowship, and family visits.  There will be much laughter and anticipation as winter yields to spring with the promise of warm summer weather to come.  There will be no shortage of celebration and excitement. 

But what exactly do we celebrate on Easter Sunday?  What is the source of the hope and joy of that day?  The answer is found in the alternate title given to Easter Day: The Resurrection of Our Lord.  On Good Friday, the tomb is closed and sealed with the dead body of our Lord inside.  Before sunrise on Easter Sunday, the women arrive to find the tomb unsealed, open, and EMPTY. 

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.                                                                Matthew 28:5-6a

As Jesus said to Martha, so it came to pass.  He has risen, and so has become the source of resurrection to eternal life for all humanity.  He is indeed the resurrection and the life.  This is what we celebrate on Easter Day.  This is what we confess to the world: He is not here, the tomb is empty, He is risen just as He said He would; just as was prophesied and promised in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah, the Savior of all mankind. 

Just as St. Paul taught in the fifteenth chapter of 1Corinthians, so has the Church taught throughout her history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ is foundational to all that we believe and confess.  Without the Resurrection, there is no hope for any who believe in Jesus Christ.  Without the Resurrection, we Christians are the worst of fools in the history of the world.  Without the Resurrection, we have no hope or joy in this life or beyond.

Because of the fact that Jesus Christ has bodily risen from the dead, because the Resurrection of Our Lord is true, through faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we also shall experience bodily resurrection as sin, death, and the devil have been defeated by the suffering, death, and RESURRECTION of Jesus.  Because of the Resurrection of Jesus, we have hope and joy in this life and for life everlasting.  This is what we celebrate on Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of Our Lord.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

                                                                                      1Peter 1:3-5

SOLI DEO GLORIA!  AMEN!

"Sinte Klaas"

"...the righteous is generous and gives; for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land..."  Psalm 37:21b-22a

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work....  Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift."  2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 15

Yesterday, December 6th was the day of commemoration of one of the saints of the Church, Nicholas of Myra, pastor and bishop.  Nicholas, who died in the year of our Lord 342, was bishop in the city of Myra in Lystra which today is part of Turkey.  Church legend has it that Nicholas would travel vastly to give gifts to those in dire need.  He is said to be the friend of all in distress, the protector of all children, and the rescuer of sailors in trouble at sea.  Saint Nicholas, Sinte Klaas in Dutch, then translated into English as "Santa Claus" has become the world-wide symbol of gracious gift giving.  Because of this, in many parts of the world, December 6th is the day of celebration marked with the giving of gifts to one another rather than December 25th.  Personally, I would much prefer this and thus to save the 25th for the commemoration of the Festival of the Holy Incarnation.  May I humbly and prayerfully suggest that we all purposefully set aside some time this December 25th to praise God for the greatest gift ever given in the history of creation, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, given for the salvation of all who in true repentance believe and trust in Him as Lord and Savior.

"Now this is the true faith of Christ which the apostle commends: faith that works through love.  And what it yet lacks in love it asks that it may receive, it seeks that it may find, and knocks that it may be opened unto it.  For faith achieves what the law commands."   Augustine of Hippo

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."   John 3:16-17

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.   John 1:1-2

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.   John 1:14 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for him in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"   Luke 2:1-13

Power in Weakness

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.                                                                                                     2Corinthians 12:8-10

"When I was young, I would say to myself: perhaps one day I shall do something good; but now that I am old, I see that there is nothing good about me." 
Abba Matoes, a teacher of spirituality in the Early Church
Benedicta Ward trans., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (London and Oxford: Mobray, 1980), 143.

As human beings, especially as Americans, we pride ourselves in growth and self-achievement.  Pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps is something that we are taught at an early age is a quality to instill in ourselves.  Self-reliance, not depending on others when we can do it ourselves is how we are best to live our lives.  That way we have no one to blame but ourselves when things go wrong and no one to exalt except ourselves when all is progressing forward.  However, when it comes to our walk in faith, our life as a Christian, our growth in spirituality, it is exactly the opposite that we are to cultivate.  

In his book Grace Upon Grace, in the chapter titled "The Mystery of Christ" author John W. Kleinig relates that one of the blessings that comes from the grace of God through Christ in our lives is the realization that without the grace of God we can do nothing.  Without the grace of God we cannot be saved, we cannot please God, we cannot do anything according to God's will, we cannot grow in faith and spirituality.  Abba Matoes realized this late in his life as did Martin Luther on his death bed when, while pondering his life achievements and the impending end of his life said, "We are but beggars, this is true."  He knew that if there were any hope for him once he left this life it is but by the grace and mercy of God.  He also knew that all he had accomplished in this life was but by the grace and mercy of God.  When it comes down to it, living well, and dying well is a matter living a life of receptive spirituality, of receiving from the Lord that which He has set aside for each of us as blessings. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love he predestined us for adoption as sons (daughters) through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and on earth."                         Ephesians 1:3-10

It is so obvious that we will suffer trials and tribulations in this life.  What we do with them is our choice.  Will we learn from the Lord to depend on Him, to trust Him, to obey Him?  Or will we instead blame the Lord for what is ultimately our shortcomings, our sins and refuse His grace, mercy, peace, and all the other spiritual blessings He has set aside for us before the very foundation of the world was set?

For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.                                 Ephesians 2:8-10

It was once said that patience is a virtue.  This is true. However, it is not a virtue that we cultivate on our own.  Patience is learning how to wait on the Lord.  Patience is learning how to depend on the Lord.  Patience is learning how to receive from the Lord what He has to give to us when He decides to give it.  Patience is also learning how to be content in all situations, knowing that the Lord is always with us and always gives to us all we need to not only survive the current situation but to thrive in and through it.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.  
O Lord hear my voice!  Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy.
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman for the morning, more than the watchman for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!  For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.  
And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.                            Psalm 130

Eternal Father of my soul, let my first thought today be of Thee, let my first impulse be to worship Thee, let my first speech be Thy name, let my first action be to kneel before Thee in prayer.

For Thy perfect wisdom and perfect goodness:
For the love wherewith Thou lovest mankind:
For the love wherewith Thou lovest me:
For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life:
For the indwelling of Thy Spirit in my heart:
For the sevenfold gifts of Thy Spirit: 
                            I praise and worship Thee, O Lord.

Yet let me no, when this morning prayer is said, think my worship ended and spend the day in forgetfulness of Thee.  Rather from these moments of quietness let light go forth, and joy, and power, that will remain with me through all the hours of the day;
   Keeping me chaste in thought:
   Keeping me temperate and truthful in speech:
   Keeping me faithful and diligent in my work:
   Keeping me humble in my estimation of myself:
   Keeping me honourable and generous in my dealings with others:
   Keeping me loyal to every hallowed memory of the past: 
   Keeping me mindful of my eternal destiny as a child of Thine.

O God, who hast been the Refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my Refuge today in every time and circumstance of need.  Be my guide through all that is dark and doubtful.  Be my Guard against all that threatens my spirit's  welfare.  Be my Strength in time of testing.  Gladden my heart with Thy peace; through Jesus Christ my Lord.  Amen.

Morning prayer for the first day of the month from: A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie.

God's grace, mercy and peace be with you all.  Amen

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

St. Theophan the Recluse was a nineteenth century Russian Orthodox bishop.

Into Your Heart

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.  Proverbs 3:5-8

   You've got to get out of your head and into your heart.  Right now your thoughts are in your head, and God seems to be outside you.  Your prayer and all your spiritual exercises also remain exterior.  As long as you are in your head, you will never master your thoughts, which continue to whirl around your head like snow in a winter's storm or like mosquitoes in the summer's heat.  If you descend into your heart, you will have no more difficulty.  Your mind will empty out and your thoughts will dissipate.  Thoughts are always in your mind chasing one another about, and you will never manage to get them under control.  But if you enter into your heart and can remain there, then every time your thoughts invade, you will only have to descend into your heart and your thoughts will vanish into thin air.  This will be your safe haven.  Don't be lazy.  Descend.  You will find life in your heart.  There you must live.  --St. Theophan the Recluse


Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  Hebrews 10:19-23

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.  And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return.  The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."  In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.                                                                                                                       Job 1:20-22

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This morning I drove down to Camp Lone Star in LaGrange, Texas from Dallas.  As I was driving south, I skirted by some of the torched land that has suffered under the wrath of fire voraciously kindled by the extremely dry vegetation that covers most of Texas because of an unbelievably severe drought we are experiencing.  As I am writing this I am also listening to a report being given to the Circuit Counselors Conference concerning all the fires around Texas (20 active at the moment) and the Bastrop fire specifically which has taken the homes of over 50 families connected to LC-MS congregations in some way including 3 pastors who lost their homes and a fourth who lost his garage.  We earlier had an opening service in which we prayed for rain for Texas as has been done across the state for a long time and yet there is no possibility for substantial rain for the foreseeable future.  Is God listening?  Does He care?  Questions always asked in the midst of disasters.

In the verse above, from the first chapter of Job, Satan had just finished his attack against the property and children of Job, all with the approval of Yahweh God, which resulted in financial devastation to Job but infinitely worse also resulted in the death of all his children.  As word concerning the death of his children came to Job, after he was told of the destruction of all his wealth, Job responded, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." With these words Job gives witness to just how much he trusts in the Lord, just how strong his faith is and how actively personal his faith and relationship with God has become.  Then comes a commentary about Job: In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.  Even though Job lost everything, including his children, which, by the way, were considered one of the greatest assets of a man back in Job's day, he did not do or say anything that was in any way accusatory of God even though, as we find out later in the book of Job, he understood that none of this happened without God's approval. 

We all, at some point of time or another, have had life experiences that have been tremendously taxing on us. How have we responded to the situation?  Have we just flat-out blamed God?  Have we at the very least questioned God's motives or lack thereof?  Or have we been able to rely on the divinely gracious gift of faith, trusting completely in God and His will and purpose in all situations, and then echoed Job's words and blessed the Lord in the midst of the tragedy?   As stories are coming out of the fires, especially the Bastrop fire, I am being blessed to hear of and see the faith of Job in many who have lost much in these fires.  Praise be to God!

As an aside, at both of the worship services at Tree of Life yesterday, I announced to the congregation that we would be taking a free-will door offering for the LC-MS families that have lost their homes in the fires.  Being challenged by this call for help literally at the last minute, God's people faithfully responded with over $800 of donations.  As this amount was conveyed to me, I was tremendously moved by the loving response of God's people to others in need.  Praise be to God! 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God...
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.  For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.  We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have  from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.                                                                                     1John 4:1, 18-21

The "Ruach Yahweh"

Early this morning I sat out on my backyard deck with a cup of coffee and the morning devotions, thanking God for the beauty and abundance of His creation, given to His people as a gift as gracious as salvation itself through His Son Jesus Christ.  When I finished the first devotion I glanced at the surrounding trees and reveled in the refreshing breeze that was blowing through the leaves.  Every time I feel a breeze I am reminded of the Holy Spirit as the Hebrew word for wind is ruach which is also translated into English as breath or spirit.  Therefore, whenever the wind blows, I am reminded of the very breath of life that was breathed into the crown of creation by the Father and His Spirit which comes and goes according to His will, without any need of our consent or approval as well as where we go in life, according to the will of the Father.

John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.   So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.  (ESV)(NASB)

The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.  (Jerusalem Bible)

As we travel through this life, one of the things that we Christians desire more than anything is seemingly one of the most difficult things to accomplish; to hear, recognize and follow the voice and direction of the Lord.  

When the prophet Elijah had had enough of Queen Jezebel's threats, he fled to the mountains south of Israel and asked the Lord to take him out of the world.  He claimed he had been faithful, even jealous for the Lord and all it had achieved was what he thought was the death of all believers accept him and he did not want to be the only one left.  In addition, he had no clue as to what purpose his life would serve at that point anyway.  He wanted to hear God's voice.

I Kings 19:9-13
There he came to a cave and lodged in it.  And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"  He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts.  For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord."  And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.  And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.  And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.  And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"  (ESV)

And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.  (vs. 12 NASB)

After the earthquake came a fire.  But Yahweh was not in the fire.  And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. (vs. 12 Jerusalem Bible)

[Just as an aside, everywhere you find LORD in the ESV and NASB the original Hebrew has the tetragrammaton YHWH which is the name of God, pronounced Yahweh.  Ancient Jewish tradition forbade the utterance of the sacred name of God therefore whenever the Scripture had YHWH the word adonai was spoken which in English is "LORD" often printed in all capital letters to signify being in the place of YHWH.]

The Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, also has "a gentle breeze" for that in which Elijah hears the voice of Yahweh.  He did not hear Yahweh boom in the great wind, earthquake or fire.  When all quieted to silence, Elijah heard Yahweh speak in the "sound of a gentle breeze" or "sound of a low whisper."  

Every time I am out by myself in the early morning sunrise, when the breeze is blowing, I am reminded of this story about Elijah and of the account in the third chapter of the Gospel of John, where God encourages us to silence our lives and our spirits so we may hear, recognize and follow His voice.  This place of silence is found in the eye of our heart, in the nous, where God dwells in His people and speaks gently and lovingly to us.    

   Almighty God, in this hour of quiet I seek communion with Thee.  From the fret and fever of the day's business, from the world's discordant noises, from the praise and blame of men, from the confused thoughts and vain imaginations of my own heart, I would now turn aside and seek the quietness of Thy presence.  All day long have I toiled and striven; but now, in stillness of heart and in the clear light of Thine eternity, I would ponder the pattern my life has been weaving.
   May there fall upon me now, O God, a great sense of Thy power and Thy glory, so that I may see all earthly things in their true measure.
   Let me not be ignorant of this great thing, that one day is with Thee as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.  
   Give me now such understanding of Thy perfect holiness as will make an end of all pride in my own attainment.
   Grant unto me now such a vision of Thine uncreated beauty as will make me dissatisfied with all lesser beauties. 
   Though earth and man were gone, 
   And suns and universes cease to be,
   And Thou wert left alone,
   Every existence would exist in Thee.
   I am content, O Father, to leave my life in Thy hands, believing that the very hairs upon my head are numbered by Thee.  I am content to give over my will to Thy control, believing that i can find in Thee a righteousness that I could never have won for myself.  I am content to leave all my dear ones to Thy care, believing that Thy love for them is greater than my own.  I am content to leave in Thy hands the causes of truth and of justice, and the coming of Thy Kingdom in the hearts of men, believing that my ardour for them is but a feeble shadow of Thy purpose.  To Thee, O God, be glory forever and ever.  Amen.  
(a prayer for the fifth day of the month from "A Diary of Private Prayer" by John Baille)
  
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.