May 2017
Happy 90th Birthday Norma and family Easter was beautiful and colorful
Pre-Forgiven
In the mail a while ago there was among everything else an envelope which proclaimed in large, bold letters:
“YOU’VE BEEN
PRE-FORGIVEN!”
That caught my attention! The letter was from an insurance company. I didn’t bother to read the contents of the letter—despite the catchy presentation—but I figured it had to do with the company not increasing rates after a customer incurred a moving violation, ticket, accident, or the like. A company that could “pre-forgive” its clients might be a company worth having.
“You've been pre-forgiven!”
That IS what we need. That is what the Gospel is all about: the good news of forgiveness in Jesus.
Predictably, we will sin.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
God promises: We will be forgiven.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
I imagine that some people might view that message with contempt, wondering who could make that promise and how that promise could be fulfilled. Such people usually don’t believe they need forgiveness. It’s not that they claim to be without sin—rather, they would deny that anyone would be in a position to forgive. On what basis could anyone presume to forgive sins?
That is the unique message of the Gospel—for it is the “good news” that only God can pronounce.
It’s what the church has been called to announce—that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Christians are NOT above anyone else—in fact, a Christian is even more grounded in reality—well aware that sin is always a part of our existence.
Christians take comfort in knowing that God arranged for our forgiveness. Yes, forgiveness that comes well ahead of its needed time could be called “pre-forgiveness”—but God wasn’t simply chasing down a catchy slogan. Rather, God prepared salvation for us, determining that He Himself would be our Savior.
That is what we proclaim this season—and always: If we walk in the Light … we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
Always count on that forgiveness being there—for you, always and forever.
Pastor Herring
Stewardship Moment – Given a New Life in Order to Serve
Jesus taught a powerful lesson about servanthood, recorded in the 13th Chapter of John’s Gospel. He taught that lesson on the night of the final meal He would eat with His disciples. We’re told all twelve were gathered in an upper room with Jesus in their midst. Off to the side, nearly forgotten, was a basin. In the basin was water. No one was standing behind the basin. No one had it in his grasp. It stood unattended, unnoticed. You see, that basin was meant for the washing of feet. In ancient times, the mode of transportation was a little messier on the road than it is today. The person who was traveling would not only come into your home with a little dust and dirt, but his feet would be dung-stained as well. Washing feet was the job of the least servant. To put it in our terms, the servant with the lowest amount of seniority got the basin as the guests came into the home. He would kneel down and wash their feet.
On that night, when the twelve were gathered with Jesus in their midst, the basin was unattended. There were no men pushing and shoving to see who could be first in line. “No, no, my turn, you got to do it last time. I get to be first. Get behind me. I get to serve. Who do you think you are, pushing in front of me? It’s my turn.” The basin stood alone—until Jesus got up and took the basin and knelt and began washing the feet of each disciple. It was a very awkward moment. You see, they recognized the One with the basin. They knew where He came from. He was the Son of God, from the right hand of the Father. Finally Peter, speaking up as if to voice the concern, the awkwardness, and the embarrassment of the whole group, said, “Lord, You can’t do this. Of all the people in the room, You shouldn't be doing this!”
The Lord was teaching them about a newer, grander, more blessed way of life. He was getting them ready for what was going to happen less than 24 hours later. As He hung on that cross, and they watched Him bleed and groan and gasp, that same thought must have washed over
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them that should come to us as you
and I picture that scene. It’s supposed to be the same feeling the disciples had when Jesus took the basin. “Lord, this isn’t right. You’re not supposed to be doing this. I’m the one who should be there. I’m the one who should be suffering, not You.” But the Lord makes it clear that, through that cross, He gives more than an example; He gives us new life. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we receive a new life as we look to Him and recognize the blessings of His service, of His ransom, of His deliverance. We come to rejoice and hold onto and remember that great beginning. That beginning, our salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, is what enables us to live lives in service for Jesus.
Pastor Herring
Thoughts
From
The
Board
Of Elders
Recently in our devotions we were reading Mark 9 and came to this passage: 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” I was reminded how during the last several years I was in Iowa West our District President was Richard Kapfer. President Kapfer seemed to always at pastors’ conferences remind us pastors that: “You are all servants.” He was being pastoral in this.
As in the passage above, Jesus reminded his disciples that they were not ‘better’ than other believers. President Kapfer reminded us that we were, as Christians, not above or better than any other Christians. I have known some who thought they were. No, I doubt you know any of them. But we all do well to remember that before God, we are all the same – both sinner and saint – all of equal value because the price He paid to make us His own was the death of the only-begotten Son, Jesus.
Then as we read on in chapter 10 of Mark we found: 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But sit shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is more than a rehash of the previous. Yes, Jesus says again about being a servant, but He gives us the reason for being a servant and in the process tells us where the power is to be found. We are called “disciples” or “followers” which means much more than naming a name. If we are to follow, it means we do as He did and continues to do for us. As God the Son, Jesus surely had, if anyone ever had, the right to call to be served. Yet the example He set in His earthly life was one of serving, that is, of helping others.
Here we might think of His healings of the sick or demon possessed or of His feeding crowds. Yet clearly His greatest service was taking on our sins and dying to pay their penalty. That service we can never imitate or duplicate. However, Jesus tells us what we are to imitate is helping others, especially those in need. When we seek to do so, Jesus will open ways for us to serve and give us the means and ability to serve.
The world will still tell us to look out first for ourselves because no one else will. Of course, if we follow Jesus and look for ways to serve others, then we too will be served, even without seeking it. We know we will because we have Lord who has risen from the dead, lives forever, and rules from heaven for the good of His Church – that means all believers. Never be ashamed to be a servant because out Lord and Savior was never ashamed to serve us and continues to serve us each time we come to His Holy Supper.
Kenneth Haydon, Elder
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REFORMATION ANNIVERSARY THOUGHTS
Part VII: From Student to Teacher
By Reverend Myles R. Schultz
After receiving his Doctorate in 1512 Martin Luther became a Professor of Theology at Wittenberg University and he began his career as a professor lecturing on the Psalms, the books of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. For this his earlier dedication to become proficient in the languages of the original writers of Scripture came in handy.
Still struggling with his fear of God’s demand for righteousness Luther was studying the book of Romans in preparation for his lectures. It was during his study of Romans 1:17 in the original language he was struck by its clear message of grace. He came to understand God’s demand for righteousness was fulfilled by God Himself, received as a free gift, by faith through Jesus Christ. He began to understand and teach that salvation was a free gift from the grace of God and not a reward for the good works of man: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” Luther is quoted as saying that it was while he studied this text “I felt as if a great weight was being lifted off my shoulders and the doors of heaven were been flung wide open.” And he became ever more dangerously close to nailing those 95 Theses to the church door as his new found faith in the grace and mercy of God began to free him from his life- long fear of God’s wrath.
By 1514 Luther was the Priest at the Church in Wittenberg and as such was considered responsible for the faith of those belonging to his parish. He desired the members of his parish to experience the same joy, comfort, and peace of knowing the grace of God of which he had hungered through the decades. Over the next couple of years he became ever more frustrated by what he believed to be an abuse of God’s people by the Roman Church. He felt its message of works righteousness continued to bind God’s people in fear. Luther believed that it was the fear of God’s judgement that the Roman Church capitalized upon to raise funds.
Since 1507 the selling of indulgences, and thus the selling of salvation was replacing confession and absolution for man. It was 1514 when Albert of Brandenburg asked for special dispensation from the Pope to be appointed to Archbishop of Mainz. To pay for the special dispensation it seems Albert went into cahoots with The House of Fugger to gain the authority to sell indulgences in Germany the profits from which, after the Papacy got its cut, would be shared between Albert and The House of Fugger. This practice repulsed Luther. With the Papal Court in financial trouble the push to raise funds by the selling of indulgences increased and many of Luther’s parishioners could be found traveling to nearby communities to buy a false hope of salvation by purchasing said indulgence. Indulgences became available, for a price, even for deceased loved ones.
Luther was convinced this practice was contrary to God’s Word and in direct conflict with the Grace of God as revealed in Christ Jesus. Needless to say, he was ticked off! To rob people of the peace found in the promises of God through Christ Jesus was unacceptable! Luther was spitting mad! As Priest of the Church of Wittenberg he had been preaching against said indulgences but now he must act! And so it was, on October 31, 1517 he posted a letter to his superiors in hope of creating a discussion. It did.
By the way it was also the year 1517 that coffee first found its way to Europe. It’s a good thing because Luther was going to have many a late night writing in defense of his teachings. I’m not sure whether or not coffee found its way into Luther’s daily life, but something must have helped him stay awake through those late night hours.
As a side note: It was the year 1517 when Archduke Charles of Austria granted Florentine merchants a monopoly on the African slave trade, and it was this same year that the Turks’ took Cairo. The next year, 1518, Juan de Grijalva would explore the coast of the Yucatan and discover Mexico. This was a great discovery because just two years later chocolate would be brought from Mexico to Spain and my wife’s favorite evening snack would be secured.
Whether Luther actually nailed the 95 Theses to the Church door or not has been challenged, but his writing of the 95 Theses hasn’t. And in doing so he set off a firestorm. He was challenging the authority of the Pope! Many had lost body parts, usually the head, for doing much less.