2022

Are you tired of Christmas songs yet?  One of the most popular is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  I never did like this song, and still don’t, because of the memories it brings back and the imagery associated with it.  One moral of the story could be that people are basically jerks until they want something from you.  But that’s a very negative way to look at it.

Rudolph was created in 1939 by Robert L. May.  He was employed by Montgomery Ward to come up with a character for a coloring book that would be handed out every year at Christmas.  His daughter liked reindeer and as a child, he was treated the way Rudolph was and so another legend is born.  While pondering how to craft a Christmas story about a reindeer, he was staring out his office window in downtown Chicago where a thick fog from Lake Michigan blocked his view.  That was his inspiration for the bright red nose like a spotlight.  The cultural significance of this red nose has changed since the story’s publication.  In the 1930’s culture, a bright red nose was associated with alcoholism and drunkards.  However, when the management saw the cute, bouncy reindeer, they agreed to go with it.

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve seen this movie or at least have heard the song and know the story, so I don’t need to go into all that.  This story is popular because it transcends the generations.  Since Cain and Abel, kids have picked on each other.  Learning how to deal with it is part of growing up so if you were never bullied in school, then you were the bully.  Discrimination and prejudice come in all forms.  This story’s tragedy is multiplied because this poor little deer is faced with intentional and unintentional bullying.  Kids made fun of him for looking different; his father tried to cover up the problem because his self-respect was more important than his son’s comfort; his teacher (coach) even encouraged the other kids to treat him as an outcast.  He was surrounded by people that disapproved of him for reasons he couldn't help.  It wasn't until he left them and joined a support group, so to speak, of others that were just as flawed as he was.  They accepted each other just as they were and after that, they were able to do great things.  What a wonderful example to set for us!

No one bothered to look into the matter spiritually, but we can.  1 Samuel 16:7 reads, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him (Saul); for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’”  I didn’t just pick this verse out of the air either.  It was said referring to Saul but it can be applied to probably 90% of the people in the Bible that God chose.  We all have our issues to deal with; physical and psychological.  Regardless, every part of our body was made by God and is part of His design with a spiritual purpose.  We’re not all blonde hair, blue eyes, 110 pounds.  We can’t all say, “I’ve never had to take prescription drugs or had any stressful moments in my life”, and that’s the way it should be.  You, or others, might see your physical differences as undesirable but don’t worry if you don’t fit in.  True teamwork needs people with differences to problem solve, persevere, and be successful.  We must learn to care for each other no matter who we are or what we look like because each person can contribute something like the support group above.  Despite our physical differences, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14a).  We may not like our differences, but like Rudolph, we need to realize that they make us unique rather than an outcast.  As God’s child, we will be used for His purpose just as we are.  All believers have a spiritual light that shows in our testimony about the mercy, grace, forgiveness, and salvation given to us by Jesus Christ.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)  Even if our spiritual light doesn’t shine as bright as Rudolph’s nose, our insides can still be full of joy and we can offer love to a loveless world.

Sing it with me:  This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, all the time, let it shine.  So when we are tempted to see only our short-comings, flaws, and failures, we should remember that we are God’s children and He made us just like we are.  Only in that way are we able to serve Him and fulfill our purpose.

It’s not Christmas yet, even though we celebrate like it is, but it’s coming.  Christmas doesn’t start until Christmas Eve (technically).  But we prepare and set up our Nativity scenes to remind us of the incarnation of Christ – when God became man.  Unfortunately, many people believe that this is when Jesus first came to earth.  Wrong!  This was not His first rodeo so to speak.  His ‘passport’ had been stamped many times before.

He came many times as what I like to call ‘a voiceover’.  Jesus is the Word that John spoke about in John 1:1.  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  When God spoke the words, “Let there be…” that was Jesus creating the world and everything in it.  The Father was the conductor and Jesus was the orchestra.  Jesus was also the voice that spoke to Moses in the burning bush and the voice that told Abraham to not kill Isaac.  Since creation, He had an active participation in our lives.  But wait!  There’s more….

Jesus took many forms and came to earth many times in the Old Testament to guide and care for us until He could do it formally later on.  Most of the time, when you see the term ‘angel of the Lord’, it’s referring to the second person in the Trinity, Jesus.  He came down and spoke to Hagar in Genesis 16.  He and two angels came and spoke to Abraham in Genesis 18 to tell him that his wife, Sarai, would become pregnant at the age of 100.  In Genesis 32, He wrestles with Jacob.  He appeared to Gideon in Judges 6 and called him to service.  He also appeared to Samson’s mother and father and instructed them on how Samson should be raised.  And let’s not forget Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace.  When the king looked in, he saw four men because one was Jesus.  Sometimes, Jesus was called the ‘commander of the army of the Lord’.  Under this title, He told Joshua how to defeat the city of Jericho.

Most people have no idea that Jesus made so many appearances in the Old Testament.  What I find interesting is that He didn’t just appear to do physical things like appear in the fiery furnace or wrestle.  He also came just to talk, like comforting Hagar and helping her and her son survive, or explaining how Samson should be raised.  These are things that the messenger angel, Gabriel, could have done but Jesus wanted to do them personally to enhance God’s relationship with us.  He still continues that relationship today but not ‘in person’.  After he defeated sin and death and won eternal life for us, the Bible says the next time He comes it will be on the Last Day in splendor and glory to take us to Himself in heaven.  Our relationship with God is continued by Him taking part in our daily lives, listening to us, helping us, sending angels to help watch over and protect us, the list goes on and on.  He speaks to us through the Gospel and gives us grace and forgiveness through the Sacraments.  He touches our lives in every way imaginable and even some ways we can’t imagine.  All this to show us God’s grace and mercy and love.

Since we’re on the subject: Fun fact – In the Old Testament, God the Father was called the Most High God.  He didn’t become ‘God the Father’ until the New Testament when Jesus was born and He became a ‘father’ to His Son, Jesus.  I think that’s so cool.

Timothy was a special part of the church’s growth from an early age.  He was taught the Scriptures by his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois.  Studying the Scriptures is a livelong endeavor and getting an early start can be an advantage in coming to a fuller understanding of them.  Children’s hearts are open to the Gospel and they need opportunities to grow and worship in ways that are appropriate to them.  When he grew up, he spent a lot of time with Paul.  While he was in prison, Paul wrote two letters to Timothy.  We could call them ‘fatherly advice’ since Timothy will take over Paul’s job of being in charge of all churches and Paul dies soon after they are written.  Among these letters are some very familiar phrases: women should not be pastors; fight the good fight; love of money is the root of all evil; etc. along with part of the worship liturgy we still use today.  I wanted to focus on one particular verse though…“and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”  (2 Timothy 3:15)  It may be short but there’s a lot we can get from it. 

‘Sacred writings’ is another term for the Old and New Testament.  Of course, here it just means the Old because the New hadn’t been finished yet.  Paul adds the primary point that the written Word of God (both Old and New Testaments) lead people to a saving knowledge of God: Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament writings give wisdom for salvation but salvation itself comes through Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17-20).  Faith in Jesus must be the torch of light by which the Scriptures must be read.

“That are able to instruct you for salvation” is sometimes written, “which are able to make you wise unto salvation”.  The present participle (which are able) should be noticed.  It wasn’t ‘which would be able’ or ‘which was able’.  It is used here to express the ever-present power of the Scriptures on the human heart.  The Holy Scriptures had not completed their work on Timothy when he mastered their contents in his boyhood.  It was still going on and would continue to go on just like it does in us.

So let’s play devil’s advocate:  If the Scriptures are sufficient to make us wise to salvation, why is there a need for them to be taught?  Why not simply give them to everyone who can read, expecting that they will be understood?

Good questions.  There are several reasons for teaching rather than expecting people to learn on their own.  First, it may not be read.  Left to their own devices, people will want to do what they consider fun and interesting.  Trying to understand the Bible will not fall into this category for 99.99% of the people of the world.  Next, they can’t see the forest for the trees.  Even if we want to learn and know how important it is for us to study, where do we begin?  It’s a daunting task and enough so that we drag our feet before starting.  Plus, there are language differences.  If something is difficult to read or understand, you don’t get much out of it.  Try reading the King James version and see how far that gets you.  Personally, I prefer the Lutheran Study Bible because it has the same information, it’s easier for me to understand and has notes at the bottom if I have a question.  It’s the difference between reading William Shakespeare and Dick & Jane.  (Now I’m just showing my age.)  Finally, teaching makes it more interesting which ignites your passion to know more.  It’s like seeing a movie that was made from a book.  You see the movie BEFORE you read the book.  It will be more attractive and have your attention as a visual learning tool.  You then read the book which has, mostly, the same information but also has background to help you understand why the characters did what they did.  It enhances your knowledge and makes it easier to remember because it’s more interesting. 

So when we think about Bible study classes or Sunday School, we must go in with an open mind.  After all, the teachers are not perfect.  We are all sinful and must try to do better.  Despite this, Jesus still commanded us to teach each other even though He was the only perfect teacher.  He knows our faults but still wants us to try.  It’s possible to learn from the mistakes of others and personally speaking, I get a lot more out of Bible study when there is a large class rather than just a couple.  Teachers are not working for themselves, they are working for God and are accountable to Him.  If you think about it, we are all teachers of Scripture in our words and actions each day.  Even if we weren’t exposed to the Scriptures as a child like Timothy was, it’s never too late to start.  Not starting early is not our fault…not trying at all or giving up is.

It’s October!  That means my favorite Geico commercial is back on TV.

4 scared teens running through the country when they come upon an old 2-story house.

Boy 1 (pointing to the house): “Let’s get in the attic”

Girl 1: “No, the basement”

Girl 2 (pointing to a nearby convertible with the headlights on, door open, and the motor running): “Why don’t we just get in the running car?”

Boy 2: “Are you crazy?  Let’s hide behind the chainsaws.”

Girl 1: “Smart”

Girl 2: “Yeah, OK”

Narrator: “If you’re in a horror movie, you make poor decisions.  It’s what you do.  Plug commercial here.

You have to admit, if people in horror movies weren’t stupid, we wouldn’t enjoy them as much.  This commercial is an example of the same formula we often follow in our daily lives.  Did I just call us stupid?  To some degree, I did.  There isn’t a person alive that wouldn’t go back to the past, if they could, and change something stupid they did.  I’ve noticed that things, be they pictures, commercials, jokes, movies, etc., that we find the funniest, seem so because we can closely relate to them in our real lives. 

How many times has the simple feeling of fear made us do something others might see as stupid?  It’s happened before.  For one example, there are three times in Genesis alone that a wife is passed off as a sister.  What could possibly go wrong from that?  Duh.  Genesis 12:10-20 – God had just told Abraham that he would be made great and his family and future generations would be blessed.  Immediately after that, he passes his wife, Sarah, off as his sister because if they knew he was her husband, they would kill him to have her.  Later, in Genesis 20:1-18, Abraham pulls this same act again to a different king for the same reason.  Again, this king tells him this was a stupid thing to do.  Later, we see his son, Isaac, do the exact same thing.  Just after God promises to bless him and make his offspring more numerous than the stars, he tells people Rebekah is his sister so they won’t kill him. 

Is that why we can relate to men in the Bible like Abraham and Isaac so much?  God promised them the world and afterward they immediately did something stupid because they were more afraid of men then they were sure of God keeping His Word. 

Sometimes the most obvious answer is scary because we’ve been fooled too many times before.  That’s what this world is made of...scary things meant to throw us off of God because the devil is the ultimate liar.  He’s got us convinced that this world is all we have and our time is short so we have to trust our rash decisions.  We don’t take the time to think before we act.  We don’t take the time to trust God and accept His options for our situations because they’re “too easy” or “too obvious”.  Remember the joke about the man that drowned in a flood because the car, boat, and helicopter that God sent to save him were refused because he expected something different?

Jesus died for our sins so we are assured of salvation.  We have to do NOTHING to earn it.  God does not punish us because we still mess up thankfully.  We continually put our lives and our future salvation in danger because we’re focused on our fear of the now.  Let me make that clear…we are saved and even though we do stupid things out of fear, we are still saved because of the sacrifice of Jesus.  When I said “future salvation in danger”, I was referring to someone being in a constant state of fear so deep and often that they reject God and His sacrifice.  It’s still there for us but if we reject it permanently, it’s lost to us forever.  Our world will forever be a place of scary things with people chasing us and only walls of chainsaws to hide behind (commercial reference).  I don’t know of anyone who really wants that so I encourage you to take the running car.  Jesus is there with everything we need to be saved from our scary existence.  We only have to get in.  It’s our choice.  So what is your choice???  Me?  I call shotgun!

Fun fact:  The term of calling ‘shotgun’ for riding in the front, passenger seat started back in the Old West.  Stagecoach drivers would often bring someone along to sit next to them and carry a weapon, usually a shotgun, to act as a bodyguard and ward off any robbers or miscreants who got in their way.  It didn’t take long before the term found its way into Hollywood scripts and pop culture.  In the John Wayne movie, “Stagecoach”, co-star George Bancroft proclaims, “I’m going to Lordsburg with Buck.  I’m gonna ride shotgun.” 

I wasn’t planning on writing about Baptism but it came up randomly to me within a few days of each other so I took it as a sign.  One instance really threw me for a loop.  I was watching the Netflix series, “Dahmer”, over the life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.  You know, the man that butchered boys and ate them.  Anyway, toward the end of the series, they pointed out that at the same time that John Wayne Gacy (another serial killer) was being executed, Jeffrey Dahmer was being baptized.  It seems that he found Jesus in prison and after talking to the priest and being told that not all hope was lost for him, he asked to be baptized.  I don’t know how factual this story was but it is possible that he repented of his sins and is now in heaven.  I can’t stop thinking about the families of the people he killed.  When (hopefully) they get to heaven and see him there, what will happen and how will they feel at seeing him?  This could go for anyone that lost someone at the hand of another.  The criminal on the cross also comes to mind.  We don’t know his crime but he was promised eternity in heaven at the last minute.  All sins are equal in God’s eyes but not in ours.  Even without a heinous crime, others see us differently than we see ourselves and may feel that we don’t deserve heaven either.  Right now, we love our spouses differently than we do others.  Pastor Red once told me that in heaven, we’ll love everyone the same.  That love that we have for our spouse will be equal to the love we have for total strangers.  I don’t know how I feel about that idea.  Right now…not crazy about it.

Back to baptism.  I wrote a paper about it in college.  Got some of it right and some wrong.  That’s called learning.  What I like to focus on is Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  (Devil’s advocate) ‘Then what about people that believe but aren’t baptized?’  The act of baptism shows that we are sinners in need of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus gives baptism a special importance.  He A. was baptized Himself as an example for us even though He personally didn’t need to be.  B. Instructed us to baptize but did not baptize anyone Himself so they would think their baptism meant more.  C. Made it a directive, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)  He does not say that those not baptized are not saved but He emphasizes it to the point of making it a command.  When God commands, we should listen.  Faith and baptism are the beginnings of a Christian life and the lack of it endangers the soul. 

Some people believe that infants and children should not be baptized.  The Bible doesn’t say that; it says the opposite.  Jesus commands to baptize “all nations”; that includes children.  He also said to let the children come to Him.  The kingdom of heaven belongs to them also because they receive it in faith which is the only way it can be received.  Peter said, “be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…this promise is for you and your children”.  By denying children baptism, we hinder them from coming to Jesus.  Martin Luther said children also belong to the promised redemption brought about by Christ so the church should extend it to them.  After all, I hate to say it but we are not guaranteed of having a warning before our death that would allow time for baptism.  It’s a one and done thing so why not accept the faith the Holy Spirit gives us without waiting until the last minute?

Other people believe that faith is necessary before baptism can be performed.  If this were the case, faith would be a human work and our salvation would depend on ourselves.  Faith is a gift of God and is produced in baptism and not beforehand.  The Holy Spirit uses the Word and water working together to produce faith.  It’s all God.

As another point, there are some phrases in Romans 6:1-3 that have always been confusing to me.  Dead to sin – like “You are dead to me” – we cut all ties to it and obey it, observe it, regard it and serve it no more.  Our baptism signifies this death.

If we are dead to sin, we are separated from it and our lives are changed.  Sin remains and continually attacks us but we must not let it control us.

Baptized into Christ (His death) – Our baptism binds us to Christ as our teacher and Lord.  Being baptized into His death allows us participation into the privileges won by it, in other words, forgiveness of our sins.  As Christ was buried so He could rise again to a new and heavenly life, so are we, cut off from the life of sin to rise again to a new life of faith and love.  “For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” (Romans 6:5)

Confused?  Yes, me too.  This is the easiest way I can think to explain it but I admit that I’m still a bit befuddled.  Our brains don’t always understand God’s ways but we can accept them as they are just the same.

So, in conclusion, if you haven’t been baptized, please speak with your pastor.  Seriously, it only takes 5 minutes and lasts forever.  If you have been, remember that when Martin Luther fought despair, he scribbled the words, “I am baptized” on his desktop as a reminder that he was living according to an ongoing call from God.  He didn’t write, “I was baptized”, but used the present-tense verb.  He understood that at his baptism, God accepted him as His son, and no human could take that from him.  To be baptized in God’s name is to be baptized not by human beings but by God Himself for all time.  Although it is performed by human hands, it is truly God’s own act.  Reminding ourselves daily of our baptism enforces in our brains the fact that we are born sinful but through baptism, we are forgiven children of God and members of His Kingdom.  Amen.

It’s not often that I write anything directed mostly toward men simply because I don’t understand their way of thinking and never will.  This time, however, I will stray from that formula.  Last Sunday, the pastor briefly mentioned the Super Bowl in the sermon and my mind just took off.  Life is like a football game.

There are two teams – good and evil.  God coaches the good and Satan, the evil.  We are the players.  God has recruited everyone for His team through the sacrifice and saving grace of His Son, Jesus, who died for our sins so we could play.  Some people reject this recruitment and decide to play for the opposing team.  These include everyone that does not believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  I don’t understand their beliefs any more than I understand the male mind so I’m going to focus on the good team.

Offense – These are the pastors of the church.  They make a conscious, forward effort to equip the team to better defeat the enemy and get us to the ultimate goal.

Defense – These are the teachers, missionaries, etc. that help equip the team to battle the enemy and stop the devil’s forward motion to control our lives.

Special teams – These are the kickers/punters, etc. and consist of those who translate Bibles, write Bible Studies, and lead church groups to keep everyone organized and focused in the same direction.

Positions change in life so it’s important to not focus your training in only one direction.  You might be on defense for 5 years and then change to special teams or vice versa.  Some sit on the bench and are suddenly called to play offense.  Despite your position on the team, continual training is needed.  This weekly training is led by the quarterback who calls the plays given to him by the coach.  To rephrase in English, you go to church to hear the Pastor preach the Word of God.  As a member of the team, we participate in the trainings, giving credit to the coach (God) for the blessings received and asking for wisdom to defeat the enemy (“Deliver us from evil”). 

The game itself is not scheduled.  You enter the game at your birth and it is a current and ongoing game that doesn’t end until death.  Now you say, but I’m not a pastor or teacher, etc. so I don’t play?  Yes, you do.  You sit on the bench until the coach calls you to go in.  What does this mean?  You live your life until the Holy Spirit calls you to make a play.  This means you might try to recruit someone from the other team to your side by sharing your faith; you might intercept an attempt by the other team to harm someone on your side by being a friend to them in their need; you might even be called to recruit future players by being a Sunday School teacher or showing Jesus’ love to children.  Regardless of the part you play on the field or on the bench, you are still dressed in your uniform and on the team.  You remember your uniform, right?  “…the belt of truth…breastplate of righteousness…feet in the gospel of peace…shield of faith…helmet of salvation…sword of the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 6:11-17)  Five of these six things are for defense because most of us play defense but we have one offensive weapon for when it’s needed.  The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.  It’s the only weapon we need to go against the enemy. 

Every member of the team matters regardless how much play time you get so be ready for when you’re called to go in.  The coach knows when you’re ready to play even if you don’t think so.  If you’re never called to go in, don’t worry, even those that sit on the bench the whole year still get a Super Bowl ring if the team makes it all the way.  And we will make it all the way because we’re on the winning side with the Triune God.  The Super Bowl we will win is eternal life in heaven but instead of a ring, we get a crown.  Cool, huh?

Life is wonderful, crazy, painful, satisfying, and at times, insane.  There are so many different things that could happen to us because of the choices we make.  Sometimes though, it’s not our choice.  We don’t usually choose to get sick with illness and disease.  It may be said that it’s more accurate to think of disease as ‘disorder’.  “Dis” is a Latin prefix that means the reversal or removal of.  With that in mind, ‘disease’ means the removal of ease.  It destroys our bodies, mind, surroundings, etc.  It is a distortion of the order that God originally created.  Within our bodies, our cells and organs are out of order and not functioning properly.  Jesus was the ultimate healer of disease and disorder.  He had method: in almost every instance, the healing that Jesus did was instantaneous.  He commanded the disease and it immediately complied.  There was no ‘one-miracle act’ because in some cases, Jesus touched them; in others, they touched Him; and in still others, He only spoke a word.  Side note: So, the healing Jesus did was instantaneous.  Why doesn’t He continue to do that today?  How do you know He doesn’t?  Your life might be a lot worse because He instantly cured things that happened in your body before you were aware of it… something to think about.  He had manner: Jesus goes way past empathy and has true compassion for the sick.  A sick person was shamed but Jesus went out of His way to heal the sick, lame, and blind.  He accepted everyone regardless if they believed in Him or not.  He treated each person as a wise and compassionate physician would that treated the whole person and not just the illness.  He had authority: people often questioned the authority that Jesus used to heal despite His claim that it was through the Spirit of God.  He did not dispute the physicians of the time but confirmed that God worked through their efforts to heal the sick. 

So why did He bother?  It’s true that many people came to Him just because He would heal them.  That’s all they wanted from Jesus; a temporary reduction of pain while on earth.  Jesus came to restore order to a world that had been disrupted by sin.  God gave Jesus the responsibility to wage war on evil and the disease that came with it.  Every time He healed, He restored more order to God’s creation.  His healing was a sign that the Kingdom of God had come to earth.  However, He didn’t heal everyone He came across.  If healing had been His sole purpose, the people would have just seen him for what He could do for their immediate needs and not their relationship with the Father.  He wanted us to see that good health is not the goal we should strive for.  Instead, we should push toward a complete restoration with God the Father at the end of history.  Our time here is fleeting and the happy ending is a pain-free eternity in heaven with God.

Granted, it’s hard to focus on that now.  Our minds are scattered because of pain and anxiety.  It makes our lives difficult, if not impossible, to control each day.  It threatens our relationship with God as well because we begin to question Him and eventually demand answers as to why we must suffer.  Our sinful minds often come up with answers to why bad things happen in life.  Do any of these sound familiar?  1. It’s a test of your faith.  2. It’s a punishment for a sin you committed.  3.  It’s God’s way of disciplining you.  4.  God’s trying to teach you a life lesson.  5.  It could have been a lot worse.  None, I repeat, none of these “answers” are true.  Asking “Why is God doing this?” is not helpful because it sees God only for what He can do for our immediate needs like the people in the Bible that went after Him for only that purpose.  To ask ‘why’ means we demand that God justify His actions for us.  The better question is, “Where is God in this, my suffering?”  We are able to get relief with this question because we are assured that God is in the middle of our suffering with us.  He’s there by our side and loves us so we know there is a reason for it: bring us back to Him, bring others to Him, be an example for others who struggle, etc.  The exact reason, we may never know but we can be certain that just like a parent sits by their child throwing up in the toilet, He is by us in our time of suffering.  Because of sin in the world, suffering happens, but He is there with us so we aren’t alone.

Look at Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2.  We hear the story of those who were able to do great things because of their faith...Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samuel, David, etc.  But also of those who suffered because of their faith.  Though they aren't named, they were flogged, stoned, cut in half, tormented, destitute, and persecuted.  Despite their trials, their faith remained.  As we run our race, we picture a race in a stadium.  Those in the stands have run their race in this life and now await the Last Day in the presence of our Lord.  They cheer us on as we run and endure the trials of our race, always focusing on Jesus who not only cheers us but supports us along our way.

Christianity is a life of freedom and slavery.  We are freed from sin and also slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:15-18).  Christians are not protected from hardship.  We must go through them to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22b).  I’ve said this so many times before but it bears constant repeating because all too often, the pain in our lives makes it feel as though we are the only ones suffering.  Suffering is the purification to build righteousness.  It produces perseverance, character, and hope, and opens the way for Christ’s power.  In this world now, in our joys and pains, in ALL things, God works for the good of those who love Him.  So that’s why we should enjoy our lives despite the difficulties that come our way.  God gives us our life and it’s wonderful.  Sometimes, there’s pain hiding inside and sometimes there’s joy.  Regardless, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”.  Yes, you do.  You’re going to get chocolate!! 

For some reason, I’ve always been fascinated with the “Book of Life” mentioned in the Bible.  I’ve asked pastors several times over the years to write a sermon about it.  While I wait, I’ll just have to research myself and try to organize what others have written about it.  Filmmakers have referenced it in several movies but we cannot make these beliefs our own.  Likewise, this is most likely where the idea of Peter at the heavenly gates comes from.  Peter is there at a large podium with a huge book and if your name’s not listed, you don’t get in.  While you wait for him to look you up, you need to justify your reason for being let in to heaven.  Of course, all of that is nonsense.  The Bible clearly states that we must stand before God Himself and give an account of our actions. “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books.” (Revelation 20:12)  So we will be judged according to our works.  This idea would be terrifying if we didn’t also have Jesus’ assurance that He would be right beside us, telling the Father that He, Jesus, had already paid for every sin confessed. 

So whose names are in the book?  The Bible tells us: the apostles’ names are “written in heaven” (Luke 10:20), the “fellow-workers” of Paul (Philippians 4:3), and the “assembly of the first-born” (Hebrews 12:23).  That last one is our ticket in.  All the children of God that believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior are heirs, and as such, have the privileges of the first-born.  (Yes, even those that reject God are also His children but because of their rejection, they don't get eternal life with Him so we're not talking about them right now.)  The book of Revelation speaks a lot of this Book of Life.  As described, only those whose names are written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, and have not been blotted out by the Lamb, are saved at the Last Judgment Day and everyone else is doomed to be cast into the lake of fire. 

So, our names were written in the book at the beginning of time.  This brings to mind the idea of predestination (see Jan. 14, 2022 blog for more on that).  Then there’s talk about names being blotted out.  This is also mentioned in Psalm 69:27-28.  Fact: God does not shut out anyone from His righteousness.  The Gospel excludes no one, but through unbelief, we can shut ourselves out.  Those who are proud, self-willed, and reject Christ, will have their doom.  They decided and brought it on themselves. 

Jesus knows every name in the Book of Life and He will not erase the names of those who have faith in Him (Revelation 3:5).  We must remember that this promise, “I will not erase his name from the book of life” does not imply that some people will have their names erased.  It is written because our sinful minds begin to wonder, ‘what if?’.  Being erased is a frightening thought but we have God’s promise that our place in heaven is secured if we persevere in the faith.  God is not going to have a bad day and attack the book with a bucket of white-out. 

Why a book?  It’s something we can relate to like the other parables in the Bible.  We are familiar with the idea of registering in a book.  We have them in church registers, voting registers, etc.  Having your name listed meant you had a right to be there, participate, and benefit from all of the privileges.  The idea of this book in God’s presence gives us the certainty that it is out of the reach of men and devils to erase it; it records the knowledge that God has of us and confirms our certainty of living in heaven.  This does not mean that the God of all creation has to have a book kept in front of Him to remind Him.  In Esther 2:23, we read of kings who had books of remembrances written and read before them.  In these books were all the services done for them, when, and by whom.  God, in like manner, remembers the services of His people so that when we come face to face with Him, He will come to us with open arms and say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord”.   Amen.

Fire itself is fascinating.  We can sit and stare at it for hours.  One of my favorite Netflix series is “Blown Away”.  It’s a reality show where experts in blown glass produce some of the most amazing glass sculptures ever seen.  The photo is of me blowing glass.  It was an amazing experience.  Glass, something that seems so simple and elemental, is created with breath and fire. 

One of the most well-known stories of fire in the Bible is Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-15).  Throughout the history of the church, pastors have used this as an example of the incarnation of Christ.  The two natures of God and man co-existed in one body just as the divine God co-existed with the bush in the fire.  That which was of the earth (bush) was filled with that of heaven (fire).  Similarly, when the Son of God took upon Himself our human nature, He did not destroy that human nature.  Later in Exodus, (19:18), God appears to the nation of Israel on Mt. Sinai wrapped in smoke and fire and earth-shaking.  Even though this is the way we expect God to interact with us, the Israelites were so unimpressed that they built a false god to worship instead.  We humans aren’t always the sharpest knives in the drawer.  These days, God doesn’t come to us in ways that we expect or would prefer.  His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) as anyone who has seen the movie, “God’s Not Dead”, would agree with.  God hides Himself in things that seem ‘un-godlike’ to us (1 Corinthians 1:27-29), like movies or glass.  He does it to hide Himself from those who want a god that bedazzles the world with fanfare.

In ordinary circumstances, fire serves various purposes: light, heat, fuel, cooking, destruction, signaling, purification, and protection.  Because it serves so many needs and performs many acts, does it not make sense for God to use it to appear to us?  Fire was the element of creation that Jesus chose to make his invisible nature (God), visible.  In Matthew 17:2, His face shone like the sun (large ball of fire). 

God comes to us today through the Holy Spirit, who coincidently, is referred to in the Bible as wind (breath) and fire.  Let’s start with wind.  The word ‘spirit’ in Greek and Hebrew can also mean wind or breath.  Ezekiel 37:7-10 tells the story of the dry bones that needed breath or wind to enter them to give them life.  Jesus refers to the Spirit as wind in John 3:8, “Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”  The characteristics of wind and the Spirit are similar in too many ways to not acknowledge.  Both are invisible but the results can be seen and felt.  Both are powerful: we see winds destruction in hurricanes and tornados; the Holy Spirit was involved in creating the heavens and the earth.  Both are unexplainable and both go where they wish.  Just as the wind moves where it wishes, so does the Spirit, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11).  Back to our focus on fire.  The most common association is at Pentecost when the Spirit of the Lord came in, as the sound of wind, and appeared to each person as a tongue (gentle flame) of fire.  Why?  Ezekiel’s mission was confirmed by a vision of burning coals of fire (Ezekiel 1:13), and Isaiah’s by a coal of fire touching his lips (Isaiah 6:7).  It was the same with the disciples here.  The ‘tongue’ of fire was an outward sign that they were now to speak (with their tongue) the Gospel of Christ with the world and the Spirit was the power by which they would do so.  The other important reference to fire is found in Luke 3:16.  The crowd was wondering if John the Baptist was the Messiah they had been waiting for.  John tells them that the Messiah is coming and will “…baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”.  Jesus can, and will, baptize with the Holy Ghost.  He can give us the Spirit to cleanse and purify the heart not only as water washes off the dirt on the outside but fire clears out the dross that is within, and melts down the metal, so it can be pure.  The fire referred to here is the flame of purification.  We will see this again on the Last Day, the Day of Judgment.  On that day, the world will be destroyed by fire.  Paul tells us it will reveal the character of every man’s work, as fire sheds light all around and discloses the true nature of things.  One property of fire, as stated above, is to test the quality of objects.  When metals like gold and silver are burned, they are purified from dross (foreign matter).  However, when things like wood or hay is burned, it is completely destroyed.  On the day of Judgment, the fire will remove all that is evil and those with faith in Christ will pass through unharmed.  The fire will burn and show the secrets of our hearts, the truth of what we have done, and the foundation we are built on, Jesus Christ.

So often when reading the Bible, I’ll see familiar passages and think, I know all about that, I’ll move on.  I could not be more wrong when I do this.  There is ALWAYS something new that can be learned.  This blog is specifically about Philippians 2:9-11.  See if this sounds familiar to you:  9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Do you know where I’m going with this?  Bet you don’t.

God exalted him and gave him “the name that is above every name”.  Stop there.  What is THE name that is above every name?  It can only be one name.  Hebrews 1:4 says it’s a more excellent name than even the angels have but doesn’t tell you what it is.  Whatever the name is, it will be consistent with Scripture, Old and New Testaments, but will not be a name to distinguish one person from another like Bob, or Joe.  Instead, it will imply something of the nature of Christ and reveal His inner being.  It will be a title that is characteristic of His essence that will identify Him as superior to all other beings because it is the name above every other name. 

Now, why would God give Him a name at all?  For that answer, we look back in history.  Remember Abram?  Abram met with God; God made a covenant with him and in so doing, entered into a unique relationship with him.  God then changes his name to Abraham.  Remember Jacob?  God entered into a unique relationship with him and gave him the name Israel.  In the New Testament, Jesus called a man named Simon to follow Him and through a relationship, he received the name, Peter. 

By now, you’re saying, “Yeah, yeah, read the next verse”.  “At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow…”  So the name is Jesus.  Ta dah!!  Wrong.  “…at the name OF Jesus”.  Not, at the name Jesus.  ‘Jesus’ is not a new name.  God can’t bestow the name “Jesus” on Him at his exaltation because He was already given that name at his birth.  “Thou shalt call His name Jesus for He shall save His people”.  It can’t be the name “Jesus” because that is not above every other name.  There are a lot of people named Jesus.  The answer is a bit further.  “and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord”.  BINGO!!  “Lord” is the name above every other name.  God gave Him the name Lord because that’s the supreme name.  Whoever is Lord is in charge, right? 

So lets put that back together… “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord..”  The name, Lord, makes people bow and it is the name ‘Lord’ that men must confess to be saved.  So, how’d you do with that?  Did you guess right?  I admit that I sure never saw that coming. 

I’ve been trying for what seems like forever to think of something to write about OTHER THAN what my heart is focusing on.  It’s no use.  Mother’s Day is coming and there’s no stopping it.  In my opinion, it’s the worst day of the year.  I love my mother immensely and she knows it.  Remember the fourth Commandment?  Honor your father on Father’s day and mother on Mother’s day.  No, that’s not right.  I don’t just show her on one day; I hope she sees it with every visit and phone call.  Aside from this, every Mother’s Day is the same for me.  I spend time with my mother and mother-in-law and end the day crying for about 2-3 hours over what a horrible mother I am and have been.  Mother’s Day is nothing but a reminder to me of all my failures and shortcomings.  My kids call me sometime during the day and wish me a happy day.  This year they gave me a beautiful mother’s ring.  They say they love me but I don’t believe them.  How can they when I don’t love myself?  The devil’s got a good hold on me and I know I’m not alone.  Regrets are just a part of life for many people and I’m the first one to admit my shortcomings.

As always, the Bible offers help:  “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14) 

My mother-in-law said it best, “You did the best you could at the time.”  Sure, if I knew then what I do now, I like to think I’d have done things differently.  Who knows?  Remembering the past is very tricky.  I may have said this before but it bears repeating.  The only thing we can be certain of is RIGHT NOW, this minute.  The past changes because of what we forget and the way we wish it would have happened.  The future is uncertain because we don’t know what will happen.  The next time you think your memory of the past is so accurate, remind yourself how many times you walked into a room and forgot what you came in there for.  It happens that fast.  So why do we keep reminding ourselves to live in the past?  Why do we hang on tightly to outdated thoughts and disturbing memories or cling to sentimental parts of our past that are hurtful but still too meaningful to abandon?  There is an ancient Egyptian proverb that says, “The marksman hitteth the target partly by pulling, partly by letting go.”  We can pull from the past with its disappointments and regrets but we should learn from these and then release and let them go so we can move into our future with a healthy mind.  Condemning inner voices that constantly whisper to us our ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’ is not healthy by any stretch of the imagination and I think I can safely say, moms have it the worst.  We need to avoid the fantasy world of if only and stay rooted in today.  It’s never too late to start acting the way you wanted to have acted years ago.  Personally, I think that’s why grandparents have more fun than parents.  We know the tricks of the trade and can enjoy doing things with grandchildren that we never had time to or thought about doing with our own children.  Again, acting the way we wanted to have acted years ago.  Holding on to tightly to our past mistakes will stunt our emotional growth and productivity.  We are kept from moving forward and enjoying our life and family as it is now.  Don’t get me wrong, it sounds easy enough but it’s a most difficult thing to do.  Much prayer is needed along with support of family.  We are God’s children and He is not happy when we tear ourselves down any more than we are when our children do the same.  So.  HAPPY MOTHER’S, FATHER’S, EASTER!  Because every day should be a combination of all of these. 

I just realized that three years ago, I did a similar post to last week.  My bad.  I’ve been doing these for so long, I’m beginning to repeat myself.  This week I keep thinking about Jesus’ dual identity… His “superman” identity if you will.  The difference is that Superman was pretending to be human and Jesus really was.  Vere Homo (very human), Vere Deus (very God) – no extra charge for the Latin lesson.  LOL

He is 100% human and 100% God.  Very difficult for our little minds to wrap around.  For example, because Christ is God, He is the creator; since He is human, he is part of creation – the Creator and the Created.  These two natures are joined together in one person.  This means that for the rest of eternity, Jesus will have His human body with the marks in the hands and side.  Wow.

Some say that Jesus was never really human so we turn to Scripture: The man, Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5); has a human genealogy (Matthew 1:1-16); has flesh and bones (Luke 24:39); His mother gave birth to Him (Luke 2:5-7); He has a spirit (Luke 23:46) and a soul (Matthew 26:38).  In addition, we see Him throughout the Bible in different states: hungry, thirsty, tired, sleepy, crying, sad, compassionate, in pain, bleeding, dying.  True man.  Because His human nature never existed apart from His divine nature, while on earth, it was impossible for Him to sin.  Sin is contrary to God’s will so God cannot sin (1 John 1:5, James 1:13).  He had to share in our humanity in order to die and destroy the one who did (past tense) have the power of death, Satan.  He also struggled in His humanity like we do so He fully understands our struggles.  True, His hard drive might not have crashed the day after his car was totaled, but He still understands.

Others say He isn’t really God.  Scripture begs to differ: He is called God (1 John 5:20, John 1:1, Colossians 2:9); He calls Himself God (Matthew 26:63-64a, Matthew 16:16, John 10:30).  He has divine characteristics: with the Father before the world began (John 17:5); creator of all things (Colossians 1:16-17); taught with authority (Matthew 7:28-29, 28:18); omnipresence (Matthew 28:20, 18:20).  He does divine works: created and preserves the world (Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:3); forgives sins (Matthew 9:2-8); performs miracles (John 5:21); makes Himself an object of faith (John 14:1); is the judge of the earth (Matthew 25:31-46). 

There are many illustrations of both.

                             Illustration                                                     Human nature              Divine nature

1 John 1:7        The Son of God purifies us                       blood                       Son of God

with His blood.

1 Cor. 2:8b       they would not have crucified             crucify                              Lord of Glory

                             the Lord of Glory

Matt. 1:23                                                                                       born of a virgin

John 8:58                                                                                                                     existed before Abraham

Matt. 26:26b              This is my body                             bread                               body of Christ

Matt. 26:27b-28a          This is my blood                                      wine                                 blood of Christ

So which nature is responsible for our salvation?  Both.  Christ’s humiliation was that He voluntarily changed His status in order to serve us.  He still had all of His divine attributes, rights, and abilities but did not always use them.  He partly used them when He performed miracles but overall chose to not use them.  If He used all His power, He would not have been able to die.  If His glory had been fully manifested, He would never have been condemned to die.  After His humiliation came His exaltation.  He resumes the full and unrestricted use of His divine power and glory forever.

Some people adjust their teaching to make it more understandable but discarding parts makes the message more distorted.  There were, and still probably are, people that claim Jesus is 100% human and not God, while others claim He’s 100% God and was never human.  Then there are those that go as far as 100% human and partly God or 100% God and partly human.  All that is too confusing for me.  I’m going to stick with 100% human and 100% God.  Even if I don’t fully understand it, Jesus said it, I believe it.  MIKE DROP.

Sometimes it’s hard to see this life for the good that is in it because the bad all too often overpowers it.  Life gives us many examples of things we can’t fix, and because of these, we often feel powerless.  Believe it or not, just because you can’t fix something, doesn’t mean you don’t have any power. 

One way to view it is the difference between feelings and faith.  Feelings can create a sense of helplessness but in reality, they are clues that identify needs.  And here’s the clicker, IT’S OK TO HAVE FEELINGS!  We all have needs that may or may not be met but they are needs all the same.  We need to remember that our feelings are different from our faith because if we have depression or anger, it doesn’t mean we no longer have faith in God.  It’s even OK to get angry at God.  Let Him know.  He can take it and He can make it better.  Lutheran spirituality does not begin with what we can do but what we can’t.  We can’t form a relationship with God because of our sin, but through His love and mercy, He establishes a relationship with us through Jesus.  Because of this, when we suffer and admit our fears and deep feelings, God makes His compassion and forgiveness known to us and makes our lives better.

Let me try to explain it a different way.  There are two theologies – The Theology of Glory and the Theology of the Cross.

Theology of Glory = The idea that God can be manipulated to save us from every trouble on our terms.  Our rituals, prayers, deeds, or sacrifices can appease God’s wrath and get Him to do what we want.  Questions like, “Why is there suffering?” and “Why do the good die?” demand that God gives a reason to us that we can understand.  Jesus is often seen only as a healer, miracle worker, or someone who gives blessings in this life alone.  He gives us what we want, on our terms, at our command.  This kind of idea denies that we are blind and dead to sin before Him.

Theology of the Cross = Seeking God in the limitations that He establishes.  He reveals Himself in the suffering of Christ alone.  When Jesus appears most defeated, hanging on a cross with all of our sins, it is actually the place of the most power and His victory over all.

Theology of Glory                                                                       Theology of the Cross

Good Christians don’t have pain/disappointment.        God uses our pain/disappointment to make us

                                                                                        better Christians.

God helps those who help themselves.                          God helps those who admit their helplessness.

God wants to make us happy (excuse for sinning).       God wants to make us in the image of Jesus.

Faith will always explain what God is doing.                   Faith helps us stand under God’s supreme authority.

The closer we are to God, the more perfect we              The closer we are to God, the more we become

become.                                                                           aware of our sinfulness.          

Mature Christians have answers           .                       Mature Christians wrestle with tough questions

                                                                                        because we trust that God has the answers.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about.  If you have more questions, please ask your pastor.  They LOVE explaining this stuff.  LOL.

(If you’ve read my posts before, you know the picture may be obvious about the topic or it could be a stretch thanks to my imagination.  But it eventually does connect!! )  Just a note, there are some big words in this post but I explain them.

Let’s start with faith.  What does this mean?  How do you define the word, ‘faith’?  What I have learned is that faith is an action verb.  It seeks a change from the situation that now exists to a situation which should exist.  That’s a unique way of thinking about it, isn’t it?  Faith can also be called an act of courage.  It doesn’t matter if we know the reason for our problems, if we pray for our needs or the needs of others, God will hear us and respond because it is a cry of faith and not doubt.

Biblical faith refers to a relationship between God and ourselves.  Through the revelation of Scripture, God reveals His heart and will.  Through this, we can know Him and the mystery of His love.  Faith opens our eyes to discover God’s acts of grace.  Three elements are included in faith: 1. The cognitive – the acceptance of a belief (“It makes sense to believe that …. Is true.”)  2. The emotional – you commit yourself to the idea that it will work.  You believe it so whole-heartedly that you would be amazed if it didn’t work.  3.  The volitional – You feel so strongly about it that you take action to make it happen yourself. 

From faith, it’s a short skip and hop to human suffering.  There are several different views on how to solve the problem of human suffering but they need to be recognized as wrong.  1. Individualism – we are justified by killing someone who is suffering because they are a burden on those who should care for them.  This goes for abortion as well as euthanasia.  2.  Relativism – we give different opinions the same credit.  It’s the belief that what is wrong for me might be OK for you if you say so.  Basically, each person becomes their own god, deciding what is right for them.  Examples: ok to steal if you’re hungry, adultery is acceptable as long as you really love the other person, white lies don’t hurt anyone.  The problem here is that morals change from situation to situation.  3.  Utilitarianism (Wow!  8-syllable word!) – we can do whatever needs to be done to alleviate suffering as long as it works.  The end result is all that matters regardless if it’s right or wrong.

From faith, it’s a short skip and hop the other direction to miracles.  I recently saw the movie, “Interview with God”.  It focused mostly on salvation and miracles.  As a side note: this is a good movie for people new to the faith or people on the edge, looking for something to believe in.  The script is good and fairly accurate but the ending was not good.  If you are someone like me that has been a Christian your whole life and studied the Scriptures, you probably won’t learn anything new and again, you’ll be disappointed in the ending.  But I digress….

Miracles – A. happen everyday but we don’t do them, God does.  B. call us to faith, enabling us to trust God.  C. are to get our attention and focus but shouldn’t be focused on solely for their timing and purpose.  The most important thing is that they lead us to God.  D. are purposeful in that God uses them to reveal Himself to us.  E. unquestionable.  The only reasoning must be that it was an act of God.  This gives us information about God’s will and mercy.

Miracles do bolster existing faith.  An example of this would be the crossing of the Jordan River by the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant.  Joshua commands them to march into the raging river and when they do, the waters stopped (Joshua 3:7-17).  Faith first, then the miracle.  The woman who believed that by touching Jesus, she would be healed is another example – faith first, then the miracle.  There is also something to be said for miracles bringing about faith.  Following Jesus’ first miracle, changing water to wine, He revealed His glory and the disciples put their faith in Him. (John 2:11)  Another example is how the miracle of Baptism creates faith in the infant.  Baptism causes faith which continues through life, supported by observing other miracles and accepting them by faith.  Like the Lord’s Supper, it is received by faith but also bolsters and renews that faith. 

The moral of all this, now you see where the picture comes in, is that God gives us faith and we must use that faith and let it grow amid the human suffering around us in order to see the miracles.  Life here is hard but we are God’s children and sometimes we forget that He is always listening to us and wanting us to come to Him with our problems and fears.  Much like the picture last week, “angels have been assigned to your case”; visual images speak to me more than words so that’s why I love this picture from the IKEA commercial: buff teddy bears, a.k.a. angels, guarding us from the perils and fears of the world.  We see this image through the eyes of faith.  Our home is a place where we should feel safe and what aids that feeling is to talk to God about it and have faith that He is with us.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

PS – If you’ve only seen this commercial on TV, you haven’t seen the whole thing.  You need to watch it on YouTube:  IKEA-Every home should be a haven

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.”  - Second Commandment

“As the first commandment has instructed the heart and taught [the basis of] faith, so this commandment leads us forth and directs the mouth and tongue to God.  For the first objects that spring from the heart and manifest themselves are words.” – Martin Luther

So how do we sin against this commandment?  It is a misuse of God’s name to curse but also if we call upon Him in any way whatsoever to support falsehood, lies, or wrong of any kind.  To lie and deceive is a great sin in itself, but it is aggravated when we attempt to justify it by invoking the name of God.  You can’t drag God’s name into your excuses to make them appear more noble and honorable.  The one rule to remember is “make your yes, yes; and your no, no.”  That’s it.  You don’t need to elaborate or emphasize by swearing to God and dragging His name into it. 

Sin has a way of multiplying without us being aware of it.  One sin leads to another, and another, etc.; like dominos falling.  For example, take the sin of stealing a Snicker bar from a store.  By the time you touch it, you’re already on your third sin.  1.  The need to take without paying controls us so it becomes our god (commandment #1 broken).  2.  God puts His name on us at our baptism so everything we do is a reflection of him (there goes commandment #2).  3.  Taking something that doesn’t belong to you without paying for it (obviously, commandment #7).   

So what exactly is forbidden by this commandment?  The word, vain, can mean “empty”, “nothing”, “worthless,” or “to no good purpose.”  We are forbidden to take the name of God in a manner that is not only wicked but worthless or for the wrong reason.  Because of this, the greatest sin against this commandment is when false preachers and teachers present their lies as God’s Word.  To lead others astray from the true God is the greatest form of taking His name in vain.  As Luther says, “For God’s name cannot be misused worse than for the support of falsehood and deceit. Let this remain the exact German and simplest meaning of this commandment.”  (That ‘exact German’ part always makes me smile for some reason.)

And it’s not just ‘cursing’ that gets us in trouble.  We can violate this commandment without cursing, or cussin’, as we say in the South.  How?  You can pray in God’s name without having faith.  WHAT?!?  Attend church, but give more honor to the music or cute girl in the pew in front of you than the Lord.  Have a Christian bumper sticker on your car or wear a cross but gossip and act in a way unbecoming a Christian.  Promise to pray for a friend but never do it.  Use a church meeting as an excuse for not helping someone.  It makes you think, doesn’t it?

Of course, this doesn’t mean we should avoid God’s name altogether.  We are commanded to use it when we swear properly when necessary and required (like court); when we teach properly; when we call on His name in time of need, thankfulness, or praise.   Everywhere in Scripture, the name of the Lord is exalted in the highest possible terms.  “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1a). “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name” (Psalm 29:2a). The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “Hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). The apostles proclaimed that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Paul assured the Romans that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). And the culminating event in all of creation is when, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11). The Bible does not want us to forget the holy importance of the divine name.

For this reason, above all things, we should enforce this commandment earnestly upon our young people.  They should be trained to hold it in high regard in the reverence and fear of God.  It is also a blessed and useful habit because it is very effectual against the devil.  He or his demons are always nearby but cannot stand hearing God’s name when it is uttered from the heart. 

The way to see God’s glory is to hear His name for the right reason and in the right context.  To know the name, the merciful and gracious one, is not to merely know something about God; it is to know God Himself.

NOTE:  Depending on which numbering of the Ten Commandments you’re familiar with, this may or may not be the second commandment.  The “Ten Commandments” of Exodus 34:28 means literally “ten words” in Hebrew.  The Bible didn’t use bullet points or a numbering system so we had to assign numbers to them ourselves.  Because of this, there are three different numbering systems that currently exist.  None of them omit the content of the Ten Commandments; they just arrange them differently.

The numbering I use, and grew up with, was the system of the Roman Catholic Church. 

The second system, used by most Protestant churches, splits the First Commandment into two (1. You shall have no other gods before Me.  2. You shall make no idols.).  They have 10 because they combine 9 & 10 into one – You shall not covet. 

The third considers the first one as an introduction: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery”.  To make ten, they combine the first two (one idolatry commandment) and the last two (one coveting commandment).

“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” – God

You guessed it.  The first Commandment.  Martin Luther’s Large Catechism has 48 paragraphs that explain this one Commandment.  Why is it the most important?  Because if your heart is right with God, everything else will follow.  So what is a “god”?  Anything that you look to for all good and where you go to find refuge when you are in need.  In other words, anything your heart relies on, depends on, and clings to.  It makes you feel secure in the midst of chaos.  That is your god. 

Martin Luther defines “idolatry” as not necessarily erecting an image and praying to it, but having your heart focus on something to seek help and consolation from in times of need regardless if it’s creatures, saints, or devils.  Well, that just means money, right?  Wrong.  Money is certainly part of it but the Bible refers to mammon which means wealth; be it possessions, fame, knowledge, people, etc.  Possessions are pretty self-explanatory.  Fame is another easy one.  If you bask in the glory of what you’ve done and how popular you are, your focus is only on yourself and you become your own god.  But knowledge?  Why not?  God blessed us with common sense and good brains but when trouble strikes, if you rely only on yourself and what you know instead of going to God in prayer, your knowledge becomes your god.  People?  What people could be your god?  In times of disaster, some people seek the government to protect and care for them.  Lazy, young adults set up their parents as their god because they expect to be cared for despite their age.  Likewise, parents can set up their children as their god.  I don’t mean it’s wrong to help your children when needed and be there to guide them.  I’m referring to the parents that make their children their whole life.  These parents need their children to define them and be dependent on them.  That’s not the way it’s supposed to work.  Another avenue is the zodiac.  How many people live their lives solely on their horoscope or what psychics tell them?  Even one person doing this is too many.

Because money can be considered the top-ranking idol, I need to speak a bit about it.  The most popular verse of this is Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.”  Being worldly-minded is a strong and sure way that the devil uses to attack our souls.  Jesus doesn’t want to deprive us of good things on earth but we must be careful that we don’t hoard them and put our happiness in them.  A lesser known passage is 1 Timothy 6:9-10, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”  The term, pierced themselves, means to put on a spit like a piece of raw meat roasted over an open fire.  Paul here is giving a metaphorical picture of a person torturing his own soul because of their greed.  So it’s wrong to have wealth?  No.  The wrongness comes in when you use it for personal needs instead of furthering the Kingdom of God.  For example, the wise men brought wealthy gifts to Jesus which helped finance the family’s flight to Egypt to escape King Herod’s demand of killing infant boys (Matthew 2:11-12).  The poor widow gave sacrificially (Mark 12:41).  Wealthy women supported the band of disciples because they left their occupations to follow Him (Luke 8:2-3).  No matter how much any of these people gave though, no one has ever managed to out-give God.  

How then do we overcome the ‘money god’?  The least popular way to dethrone money is by giving it away.  Get in touch with the poor and needy and use your wealth to help those in trouble.  Second, give of yourself as well as your money.  In 2 Corinthians 8:5, Paul compares churches and speaks of the sacrifice of giving of yourself which is more costly than writing a check.  Finally, the Bible gives tips and tricks to help with this.  1. The first 10% (tithe) of our income belongs to God (Leviticus 27:30-32, Malachi 3:8).  Remember though, this is the minimum, not the maximum, you can give back to God.  2.  The government deserves taxes (Matthew 22:21).  Rulers are a gift of God that we asked for so we show them the respect they are due by paying our taxes.  (Yes, we asked God for this because 'everybody else has one'.  Read 1 Samuel 8 and you’ll see where it all started.)  3.  Meet the needs of your family (1 Timothy 5:8).  4.  Do not go into debt for ‘stuff’, i.e. maxed out credit cards (Psalm 37:21).  5.  Have a positive cash flow.  In other words, work for your wages. 

This may be a bit much to explain only 8 words, but there is so much more meaning to Bible passages than what’s on the surface.  Like one picture is worth a thousand words, so is one Bible passage. 

I try to keep these posts light and fun but sometimes, you just need to get down and dirty.  More often than not, our ‘trains of thought’ get derailed and we come to the craziest conclusions.  Like the trains, a derailment doesn’t get you anywhere.  Do these sound familiar?

Train 1:  God’s grace, gift of faith and salvation are free.  Really?  I don’t have to do anything?  I have to earn everything else in life so this should be no exception.  But have I done enough?  Have I done the right things?  How do I know?

Train 2:  God says He saves everyone but some people go to hell.  God knows everything so He must know who goes to hell.  That must mean that there’s nothing we can do to keep from going there.  This means that God predestined some of us to go there.

Both trains end up as far from the truth as you can go.  The Bible is not ‘light reading for fun’, but a book of instruction that must be studied and thought about.  Some topics are so confusing and controversial that people would just prefer to forget they exist but doing that doesn’t make them go away. 

Many people consider the doctrine of election, or predestination, to be one of the most challenging teachings in Christianity.  Because of its complexity, they prefer to ignore it, but it is taught in God’s Word so it’s something He wants us to know.  When we seek to know His Word, He blesses us, so let’s give it a try.  I begin by saying that I don’t know everything on this topic and will probably only make you more confused but that’s a good thing because you will have the foundation needed to go further and discuss with your pastor to get a better understanding for yourself.  DON’T google it!!!  Go to your pastor; that’s what he’s here for.

To begin with, God wants ALL human beings to be saved.  He says so repeatedly in 1 Timothy 2:3-6, 2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16, etc.  Because God wants the salvation of all humanity, He has redeemed all humanity through His Son, Jesus.  Jesus did it all.  We must do nothing.  Before the earth was even created, He knew we were going to mess up so He planned even then to have His Son come to earth to redeem our sins.  Not only chosen, or elect people, but all people.  “in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). 

So where do we hear about predestination in the Bible?  Several places actually.  It’s important that we take each one on their own merit and not add to the true meaning because that’s what makes it confusing.

·         Acts 4:28 – This is a prayer that Peter and John prayed, acknowledging that Herod, Pilate, and the Gentiles had conspired against Jesus “to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place”.  Does this mean that God predestined the part certain people would have in Jesus’ death?  Personally, I believe it refers to the act itself of the crucifixion.  The Bible says that God knew before creation that this would have to happen.  Then again, how could it happen if no one was against Jesus?  These are the kinds of questions that scholars still argue about today.

·         Romans 8:29-30 – Paul uses this term twice here.  God’s pre-determined plan is that those who are in Christ would become like Him.  It’s not talking about our choices or actions or even who will be saved, but that those saved would become like Christ.

·         1 Corinthians 2:6-7 – Paul talks about a message of wisdom that was hidden in the past.  Here, the predestination concerns the gospel message that Jesus came to earth as God incarnate, died as a sacrifice for us and offered salvation to all who believe.  This is similar to the Acts verse but where Acts looked at the crucifixion itself, here God  predestined that the gospel message would be the means of bringing us to salvation.

·         Ephesians 1:5 – When read in context, it repeatedly refers to blessings coming to those “in Christ”.  All those who come into the body of Christ enter God’s family as His children.

·         Ephesians 1:11 – In this verse, Paul speaks of himself and other early believers that put their hope in Christ.  As part of the body of Christ, we are chosen by God to proclaim the message of the Gospel and through it, bring others into the body of Christ.  

From these passages, we need to realize that the term, predestination, is never used to mean that our actions are determined by God.  Yes, God knows what will happen.  He knows who will end up in heaven and who in hell but He does not determine who goes where.  We are blessed with the gift of free will and the decision is all ours. 

What’s confusing about all of this?  God wants all to be saved.  God elects some to salvation.  How can both of these be true?  Our human reasoning wants us to change things so they make more sense to us.  “If God has chosen the elect for heaven, that must mean that He predestined the rest for hell.  Those are our only two choices after all, right?”  This train of thought is called ‘double predestination’ and takes you way down the rabbit hole because it’s wrong.  “If God knows I’m going to hell, why should I care about doing anything right?”  “If I’m destined for heaven, it doesn’t matter what I do on earth.”  WOW.  We can really reason ourselves into knots.  Those that reject God’s grace and follow their own way (again, because of free will) are not God’s elect and have nothing left for them but an eternity apart from Him.  God knew people would reject Him but their damnation was not part of His eternal will.  It’s not God’s fault or His decision if someone rejects Him and is damned for it.  We’ve no one to blame but ourselves.

Then, what’s the good news that we should be focusing on?  “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).  The elect (believers) hear the Gospel (our salvation through Christ alone) and believe and the Spirit sanctifies them and keeps them in the faith.  We are safely in His care through nothing we’ve done or need to do.  To those that believe in Him, no matter what blessings we think we enjoy now, it’s nothing compared to what is to come; so stop being stubborn and trying to make things more difficult than what they really are.  Amen.