James Peterson – Page 2 – What Does This Mean?

Before Childbirth—Preparing the Parents

Am I ready to be a father? How can I possibly be a mother? Shortly after a man and a woman find out that they are pregnant, it is quite natural to be shocked and surprised, to be afraid and to feel unprepared. Certainly there are many things to do to prepare for the birth of a child, to figure out a name, to tell the grandparents and family, to buy supplies, to schedule appointments, and the list goes on. But the first thing we should do is read God’s Word and pray together. We should prepare our homes as Christian homes and the husband should pray for the wife, and the wife pray for her husband, and together they should pray for their unborn child. In an effort to prepare the parents before childbirth, let us consider God’s Word found in Psalm 139.

Psalm 139:1-6

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
²You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
³You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139 reminds us first of who God is. God knows everything about us. He knows about our relationship with our spouse, and he knows about our unborn child. He knows the hairs on our head and He knows each of His sheep by name. If you are feeling uncertain or fearful about a child born into your family, the Lord knows this and He knows what you need before you ask Him. Ask Him, pray to the Lord! Prepare your home for this child and start the preparations with prayer.

Psalm 139:7-12

⁷Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
¹²even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

Perhaps one of the first reactions for the husband is the thought to run away. Responsibility is knocking at the door, to take care of wife and child, to make sacrifices for others. The first reaction for the wife? I can’t do this! I am not ready for this! This wasn’t part of my plan. But this child was part of God’s plan. And this child depends on you both, not just one of you, to take care of him and raise him.

We ought not to play hide-and-seek with our Savior. For wherever we go and whatever we do, He is there. He can find us. He has searched for us after all! But this is not to say that God is scary, but rather that God is merciful. Whatever your thoughts and whatever your worries, the Lord is with you. The Lord will be with you through it all. North and South and East and West, the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you.

Psalm 139:13-16

¹³For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.^[a]
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

In this passage, we recognize that we were all born by God’s hand, both husband and wife, and the unborn child. God is our Creator, and when He brings life into the world through the union of a man and a woman, He will surely protect that life, He will surely strengthen you to care for this child, He will certainly provide for you now, like He did when you were being born. Parents, remember this, your child is fearfully and wonderfully made by God the Creator. And so are you!

As you prepare for this child, continue in the Word of God and prayer. Continue going to church. Continue making sacrifices of time, talents, and treasures for your spouse, and never forget that the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you. He will strengthen you and preserve you both, and the life of the unborn child in the womb.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John Lutheran Church
Curtis, Nebraska

The Advent of our King

The advent of our King
Our prayers must now employ,
And we must hymns of welcome sing
In strains of holy joy.

“Advent” means “to come toward.” When we use the word Advent, we speak about Jesus’ First coming toward earth and His Second Coming on the Last Day. In this verse and during this season, we recall when Jesus first came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem.

The everlasting Son
Incarnate deigns to be,
Himself a servant’s form puts on
To set His servants free.

Jesus is the Son of God. This verse reminds us that Jesus is “everlasting,” both before the creation of the world and after He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. The Son became flesh as a servant, the opposite of King, to set His servants, all of us, free from sin, death, and the devil.

O Zion’s daughter, rise
To meet your lowly King,
Nor let your faithless heart despise
The peace He comes to bring.

“Zion’s daughter” is an Old Testament phrase for the Church. And here there are two meanings for the word “rise.” The obvious meaning is to stand up while we sing for “the King is coming.” But here also, the hymn means for us to consider the resurrection, that the Church shall rise from the graves on the Last Day and see the King, our Lord Most High.

As judge, on clouds of light,
He soon will come again
And His true members all unite
With Him in heaven to reign.

Suddenly the hymn shifts from the First Coming to the Second Coming of our Lord. Now the Lord Jesus the Judge of the living and the dead comes on the clouds as the Scriptures testify. This verse puts the hymn in our own context, for we await the Last Day with patience and joy in the midst of suffering.

Before the dawning day
Let sin’s dark deeds be gone,
The sinful self be put away,
The new self now put on.

What can we do while we wait for the Last Day? We put the new self on. While we worship we ask for God’s forgiveness of our sins, and He forgives them. This He has promised to us. Then we hear the Word of God, which works faith in us. Finally, we receive the Sacrament, the foretaste of the feast to come.

All glory to the Son,
Who comes to set us free,
With Father, Spirit, ever one
Through all eternity.

This final verse is a doxology. “Dox” means “glory.” These final verses of some hymns give glory to God. In this particular hymn, the doxology serves as a profound conclusion, that our lives in heaven on the Last Day will be endless refrains of giving glory to God forever and ever.

Rev. James Peterson
First Lutheran Church
Phillipsburg, Kansas

Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings

As we open our mouths to offer praise to the Lord, this time we recognize how God takes care of us each and every day. While the world focuses on what we are missing, what is running short, and what is getting more and more costly, we remember that we live by faith and by God’s gracious giving all that we need.

Gracious God, You send great blessings
New each morning all our days.
For Your mercies never ending,
For Your love we offer praise.

Each day the sun comes up and warms the earth. Each day we wake up and have our duties before us. We have spouses to greet, children to hug, work to do, and chores to accomplish. While we may forget it, we live lives just like the people in the Bible: in one way or another, we are taking God of God’s creation. But it is even more specific than that: we are taking care of those who God gave to us.

Refrain: Lord, we pray that we,
Your people,
Who Your gifts unnumbered claim,
Through the sharing of Your blessings
May bring glory to Your name.

This is the first hymn I have studied that has a refrain. When a hymnwriter includes a refrain, usually it contains the main point for us. That’s why we sing it four times or more! In this case, the point is this, that we pray to God for unnumbered gifts, and that we would use them for His continued glory. That like a father provides for His children, so our God provides for us. That as His children we would share with others who are His children also.

By Your Word You formed creation
Filled with creatures large and small;
As we tend that endless treasure
May our care encircle all.
Refrain

Here we sing about creation. This is logically where we should always start with stewardship, at the creation of the world. God created the world to be enjoyed and to be cared for. Many of us understand this very well because our jobs are tied to the land and the animals around us. This is an endless treasure for us, because God has made the land to be fruitful and the animals to multiply so that in this way He will provide for us and take care of our families.

In His earthly life, our Savior
Knew the care of faithful friends;
May our deeds of dedication
Offer love that never ends. Refrain

From creation, now the hymnwriter moves to the life of Jesus. We understand here that when Jesus was hungry, some fed Him. When He was thirsty, some gave Him something to drink. When He was about to die, the woman washed His feet with her hair. This stanza is actually the opposite side of the question, “What would Jesus do?” It actually is more along the lines of “What did Jesus’ friends do for Him?” As much as they loved Jesus, and as much as we love Jesus, let us treat our neighbors just like we would treat Jesus. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, to the poor bring the Gospel.

Heavenly Father, may our caring
Bear the imprint of Your grace;
With the Son and Holy Spirit,
Praise by Yours in every place! Refrain

In all things, we end by praising our Lord. Knowing what God has done, providing for our lives and wives, for our children, land, and animals, we give thanks and praise to God. Knowing what Jesus has done for His neighbor, that He has laid down His life for His friends, we praise the Lord for His sacrifice and pray for our willingness to sacrifice for any who are in need. It is like the refrain reminds us,

Refrain: Lord, we pray that we, Your people,

Who Your gifts unnumbered claim,
Through the sharing of Your blessings
May bring glory to Your name.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Take my Life and Let it be

You will quickly find (if you have not already) that I end each service with “Let us go forth and serve the Lord.” This hymn emphasizes this message so well. Much like the apostle James says, “I will show you my faith by my works,” this hymn clearly gives answers and examples for how we can “go forth and serve the Lord.”

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Each day is a chance to serve the Lord. We do not only serve the Lord on Sunday morning, but every morning and in very different ways. Sunday morning strengthens us for all that we will do throughout the week. Mission work is a daily endeavor as we live life around those who need to hear about Jesus’ love for them.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

In other words, “What can we do and where can we go to serve the Lord?” While the first stanza focuses on days and times, this stanza focuses us on actions and places for us to serve one another. Surely we serve each other in our church, but we also serve others in our community. As we often hear, “Actions speak louder than words.” Our example shows Christ to our community.

Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

We all know that Christians love to sing and love to praise the Lord. Singing is the joyful noise that can change the culture of any congregation. But this stanza also draws us to reflect on what we say to the people we interact with. Although most of our conversations are probably not about the promises of the Gospel, what we say to others can shape how they think about us and about the Church.

Take my silver and gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Usually when we sing a stanza like this one, we automatically think that the pastor and the church are “asking for money again.” But that does not have to be the case. We all know that there are many ways that we can use our money for the good of our neighbor. We can feed others who are hungry. We can clothe those who are naked. We can recycle items for use at VBS. We can support the youth for their camp each year.

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

In these closing stanzas of our hymn this time, we remember why we do what we do. It is because our will and heart have been won by grace through faith by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through us that Christ continues to reign as King of Kings. We are the instruments and tools that the Lord uses to pour out His love to His people and to those who are not yet His people. God always uses means, or ways, to have mercy. And we are those who show His mercy to those who need it. Take myself, and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

We Give Thee But Thine Own

As we take a look at these stewardship hymns, we will be reminded that we are God’s people, souls created by Him and provided for by Him. We will pay special attention to the Fourth Petition, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

We give Thee but Thine own,
Whatever the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

This stanza recognizes the order of giving. First, God the Father gives to us. He gives to us clothing and shoes, house and home, land, animals and all that we have to support this body and life. He gives these things that we might use them, and especially that we would use all good things for giving glory back to Him.

May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blesses us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!

We recognize right away in this stanza the word “firstfruits.” This phrase is as old as Abel. It is in fact related to farming, to gardening, to working in the ground. When I think of firstfruits, I always remember “Give God my very best.” He gives to us even more than we need or ask, and so we give back to Him the best that we have for Him to use again.

Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.

Here comes suffering. Here comes the struggles of this world. That there are needy people all around us. That there are others who are straying from the fold and need to hear the words of this most precious Gospel. This stanza reminds us about the reason for our giving. It reminds us about how God will use our treasures for His glory. He will heal hearts and warm homes for those who need. He will provide for others what He has provided for us.

To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.

God’s work in the world continues even more! These words focus on the power of the Gospel and the continuation of the ministry. This is quite important for us as Christians, not just that we assist others who have serious physical needs, but that we as the Church provide for others with serious spiritual needs.

The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.

“What would Jesus do?” We often hear this phrase and worry that we are never doing enough for the kingdom. But this stanza reminds us that we are being like Christ when we give to others and support the ministry of the Gospel. We are stewards of God’s gifts, it is true. But here we certainly consider that we are Christ’s examples to the world to be generous to one another as well.

And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whatever for Thine we do,
O Lord, We do it unto Thee.

Here we have the conclusion. That everything we do, we do to the glory of God. That every penny we earn, we earn because of God’s grace and mercy. That every prayer we pray, we focus our prayers on furthering the Gospel. All of this because God has first and foremost given so much to each and every one of us.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Jesus has Overcome the World

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The theme for this morning is this: I have come into the world and I have overcome the world.

The King of heaven and earth claims His territory. As far as the east is from the west, as far as the north is from the south, the King is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The King who created the world has come into this world. The King who created this earth has come in order to save it. He came, He saw, and He conquered. Like a conqueror declaring the victory in the streets, our Lord Jesus Christ declared the victory over each and every one of our enemies. Over sin, we are covered with forgiveness. Over death, we have the Lord who lives and who gives life to us forever. Over the devil, we have Jesus who withstood temptation, but more than that, who conquered the wicked foe.

Our Lord has come into the world, and He has overcome the world. For we know our Lord is the Lord of hosts. The hosts are the angels who came to Bethlehem to the shepherds. The hosts are the angels who rolled away the tomb. The hosts are the soldiers of the cross who have fought the good fight, who have finished the race, who have kept the faith. We are part of these hosts, the hosts that won and never will lose again, the hosts who gather at this altar and receive the only life-giving, strengthening and preserving food for the battle in this world.

Of course, Jesus came into the world. We have celebrated it in December every year. This Incarnation Invasion brought God to earth, God with us. Mary was right; “with God all things are possible,” even a virgin birth, even the birth of God in flesh, even that his name is Jesus, even that “He forgives His people of their sins.” Jesus came into the world, came as a king, not according to earthly standards, but according to heavenly standards. Jesus came into the world, to claim His territory, the earth He created, the world He loved, the creation that needed its King.

But we just can’t wait to be king. Maybe we don’t even like Burger King, but we certainly would like to have it our way. Like Adam and Eve and the serpent before them, we forget what God says and do what we want anyway. Or David and Bathsheba. Or Peter drowning in the sea. We think we know best, or right and wrong, or moral and immoral. We want to be able to tell so-and-so to do what we want rather than let God tell us what He wants and what He says. Our will be done, and not God’s will.

This becomes especially troublesome in the church. You’re a sinner, I’m a sinner, we’re just a bunch of sinners. And we are not free to make decisions like we might in our families, or in our businesses, or in our daily lives. We have God’s Word that is what we believe, that teaches us what is true, and that is outside of ourselves. Much like the Incarnation Invasion, the Word enters our own flesh, creates faith in our souls, and sustains that faith unto life everlasting. This is the great power of the Sacrament, that Jesus enters in, and there faith within, and eternal life begin. And so what God’s Word says is all that matters, not what the world says, not what we would like, but what God has said for us to do.

And this will certainly make me unlikable, like Jeremiah, like Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and Habakkuk. That I will lead our church according to God’s will and not my own will, or your own, or anybody else’s own. That I make decisions for the whole and not the most powerful parts. That I make decisions based on God’s Word and not on my preference. This humbles me, and it humbles you. At the end of the day, we just can’t wait to be king of the church, but that’s just it, we can’t be king of the church. Jesus is the King of the Church. And this will certainly make us unlikable, when we are the church and not the world, when we are believing and the world is doubting, when we are gathering around God rather than becoming gods unto ourselves.

Worried about the world? Worried about the church? Worried about the family, or the business? Let Jesus tell you today: “I have overcome the world.” As the Catechism says, this is most certainly true. Jesus has overcome the sin of Adam and even the sin of us. Jesus has overcome even the punishment of sin, death, and was raised to new life. Jesus has overcome the devil, who tempted Adam and each and every one of us, and proclaimed the victory and claimed the territory.

For the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world, even our own world. There is no forgiveness of sins found in this wicked world except here at the church. There is no life everlasting in a world scared to death except that which Jesus accomplished when He said, “It is finished.” There is no curb against temptation in our lawless society except that the Word of God is our sword of the Spirit against every temptation we face. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, has overcome the world.

This is no throwaway statement that we can overlook. This is the very promise of the Gospel, that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That God created this world and sent His Son to save it. That God’s will was done by Jesus’ death on the cross, that the Lord saved you from each of your enemies. Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Of course Jesus came into the world. He came, He saw, and He conquered for you.

This Jesus who called the disciples and sent them as far as the east is from the west, as far as the north is from the south, has worked faith in His Church. He has sent the Gospel even to us, that Jesus is Lord, even Lord of this Church. He humbles us with His Word that comforts us and His Sacraments that relieve us. The Lord of heaven and earth who lives and reigns over this congregation forever and ever has already claimed the everlasting territory, Jerusalem the golden, the mountain of Zion for you, His dearly beloved people, for whom He came, and for whom He overcame, until you shall come into the kingdom that shall have no end.

In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

Every Good and Perfect Gift Comes from Above

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The theme is this: Every good and perfect gift comes from above.

There is but one source for all the evil things going on in our society. There is but one root of all evil. There is but one cause for division in the church. It is the untamed tongue. It is the lying mouth and the deceitful people. It is the breaking of that 8^th commandment, that you should not bear false witness against your neighbor. What does this mean? That we should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.

Can we not see it all around us in the world in which we live? That telling lies is as easy as unlimited texting. That betrayals are as simple as political differences. That slander is treated as the righteous thing to do, that ruining someone else makes us look better and feel better about our own sinful selves. That sticks and stones break our bones, but words will always hurt them too.

James causes us to ask ourselves today, Do we hear often about those who defended one another and spoke the truth even though it caused offense (because it was true)? Do we recognize the value when someone speaks well about someone else and promotes their honor instead of their own? Do we ourselves explain everything in the kindest way? It is my hope and my duty that I should be for you an example. And it is your duty and responsibility to be the example also to all those around you.

James begins our text for today with this in mind when he says, “Do not be deceived, beloved brothers.” Yes, he is saying that the world will deceive the church. We see that happening all around us. But he is also cautioning us that we would not deceive one another. For we are beloved brothers and sisters in Christ here at this church. We speak the truth in love, and most especially, we speak the truth toward one another. That is love, that we speak the truth, defend one another, and explain everything in the kindest way.

What is the truth? What can be trusted? It is this: that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In other words, God the Father speaks the truth. He is reliable, He is reputable, and He will defend you from all evil in this world. He keeps the 8^th commandment perfectly, for He will never tell lies about you or betray you, nor will he ever slander you or hurt your reputation.

That is certainly a good and perfect gift, that God tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is a good and perfect gift that is quite valuable in this distrusting and disgusting world in which we live. It is for us our most precious treasure, that God tempts no one and that He does not deceive us or mislead us into other great shame and vice. The devil, the world, and our own sinful nature do that. But coming down from the Father of Lights is truth, and trust, and only these, and no deception whatsoever.

For as James says, it was the Father’s will that we were created by the word of truth, and it was the Father’s will that we were brought to the water and recreated by that water and the word in our baptisms. It was the Father’s will that we were brought forth in the truth, the truth that Christ died for the ungodly, that Christ also speaks the truth in love toward us. This He has done, but why? For what purpose?

That we would be the firstfruits of all creation. That we would be the example to all the world. That we would be the true, honorable, and honest folks in town no matter how anybody else might treat us. The good and perfect gift has been given, that word of truth, and it compels us to live as examples to all those who need to hear it.

What the apostle James has said in the Scriptures long ago, let the preacher James say to you this morning, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Know this, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. This is what makes the Christian life so different from the American way of life. That we use our ears more than our mouths. That we hear God’s Word and that faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. That when we listen to one another, we show that we care about one another. Be quick to hear.

And be slow to speak. This may be the most difficult. For we live in a world of talking heads, and for some reason now everybody’s opinions matter about everything that there is to argue about. And yet there are some opinions that are allowed and others that are silenced. Be slow to speak, dear brothers and sisters, be patient when the world isn’t patient, be wise in the midst of all the foolishness, be slow to speak.

So that you would be slow to anger. For this is what the world loves, anger, and feelings, opinions, and strife. But James reminds you today, that anger does not produce the righteousness of God. In fact, it leads to breaking the 5^th commandment, not to making the situation better again. No, what produces the righteousness of God? It is the good and perfect gift that comes down from the Father of lights.

It is the truth, and the truth will set you free. It is the truth, that you can trust God, for He brought you forth by the word of truth. With meekness, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, receive today the implanted word, the truth, for this implanted word is able to save your souls.

Do not be deceived, but receive the implanted word this day, that good and perfect gift that God the Father has given to you.

In the holy name of Jesus.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Confirmation Sunday

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

I know that you know these Ten Commandments. You know now what is right and what is wrong. That God is your God and that you are His child every day of your life. That the Lord is the Lord and that you worship Him in this church every week. That your parents are still your parents and it is your duty to obey them. God placed them over you for your good, and they care about you. That every life is worth living, and that as men you must protect those in danger of death and destruction. That women are precious in God’s sight and must also be respected and honored both now and in the years to come. That what you have is given by God and what your neighbor has is not yours. That above all, you speak the truth and keep your word, your assignments to your teachers, your chores for your parents, and your responsibilities at this church.

And I know that you know the Apostles’ Creed. You know now what you are to believe. That what was spoken at your baptism you have now made your own in your heart. That God the Father made you and all creatures in this world. That your Father has given to you all that you need to support this body and life. That you are male or female, that you are body and soul, made in the image of God.

You know that you are redeemed. Not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death, you know now that Jesus loves you, that Jesus died for you, that He rose also on the third day for you and all those who sit behind you. That now you will live under Christ in His kingdom, that kingdom that shall have no end.

All of this because the Holy Spirit has worked faith in you. He has brought you into this church and is always ready to forgive you your sins. This Holy Spirit who has promised you the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. He called you by the gospel and enlightened you with His gifts. And you can be certain that it is this Holy Spirit who sanctifies and keeps you in this faith in which you stand.

You know now what is right and wrong. You know now what you are to believe. And of course you have known for many years how you are to pray. Pray to your Father as His Son has taught you. Pray in faith, hope, and love for all that you need when you need it most. Pray for all people according to their needs. Pray even on those Thursdays in your lives when there’s nothing going on and nobody to talk to. Talk with God; He is always listening.

For you are God’s child. Baptized so many years ago, God made you forever to be part of His family. He gave you His name, that you would live in it, that you would die for it. That because of that water and the word you are forever changed from the ways of the world and made a disciple in the way of God. That because of this Sacrament you have every confidence that you are forgiven of all of your sins before God anytime that you need it.

This is why the Lord sent me to be your pastor. That I would publicly, privately, and regularly pronounce God’s forgiveness to you. That’s why they pay me the big bucks. To remind you and comfort you in this promise of God, that you are forgiven. In the stead of your Lord and Savior and because of His command, I promise to speak God’s forgiveness to you every single time you repent of your sins. God’s grace is abundantly spoken to you and for you because of Christ.

These things you know, these you believe, teach, and confess. These are your sure and certain foundation, made even more sure for you on a weekly basis at this altar. That this, the bread and wine are truly the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given and shed for you. Do this in remembrance of me. As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Oh, and, by the way, welcome to Sunday Bible Study. Join us, your parents, your pastor, and these also who support you in your faith. Join the conversation. Grow your faith and be strengthened by those who believe like you and confess like you. Learn from them, and I assure you, they will learn also from you.

Know this, we are not confirming you today because we no longer care about you. We are not confirming you just because you are old enough. We are confirming you this day in front of all of us because we know the Christian life is difficult, and that faith in our Lord is the only way to get through any difficulty.

Obey and Pray, believe and receive. You know it. You have been taught it. You believe it. Now you may receive it. Stand firm, O soldier of the cross, fight the good fight…of faith…unto life everlasting.

In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Grace, mercy, and peace, be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The theme is this: Great is His faithfulness.

I believe you can ask every mother in this room today and get quite more of a description than you bargained for about the pains of childbearing. But let John do the describing for us without the extra embellishments. The woman in labor has such pain in order to give birth to her children, but all of that pain fades away when she holds her baby in her arms. Her sorrow and her pain are turned to joy. When she holds that child, nothing else matters.

And I believe you can ask every mother in this room today about how she feels when her young whippersnappers head off to college. On the one hand, she wants what is best for you, wants you to do your best and achieve your goals. She wants you to be grown up and start your own families. But on the other hand, I tell you the truth, she misses you, her children, when you are gone from the home. She wants you to call her, so she can hear your voice again. She wants you to visit her, to come home. While you are off at college, she has sorrow. But when you return, her sorrow is turned into joy. A little while you are away, and again a little while and you come back.

And this is no different in the life of the church. That our children have left or our neighbors have left. And for many of us, we want them to come back. A little while and you will not see me…but we hope and pray that again a little while and we will see them. We have sorrow now, and the world rejoices at this. The devil loves our suffering. The devil devises divisions, strife, false doctrine, you name it.

When Jesus speaks these words to the disciples, it is on the night in which he was betrayed. A little while and you will not see me. I will be crucified. I will die, and I will be buried. He knows this, but the disciples cannot believe it is true. Sure, Jesus said three times that he would be killed and be buried and on the third day rise again. Sure, the Old Testament prophesied this long ago in Psalm 22 and 31 and in Isaiah 53. But our text today reminds us that the disciples are still not understanding what Jesus means. This news makes them sorrowful, but again a little while and they will see Him, see Him raised from the dead. That will turn their sorrow into joy.

On a day like today, on “Take your Mom to church” Sunday, I hope that many of our mothers are joyful that you are here with them hearing the Word of God and believing it like you were raised. I pray that you come back and that she has joy when you return. But when this Sunday falls on a theme like this one, let us turn to the book of the Bible made famous for sorrow, the book of Lamentations, written from Jeremiah, the so-called Weeping Prophet.

For Jeremiah surprises us when he says to us today, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” This is incredibly comforting for us. This is the Good News and Gospel for our souls. That like our own mothers who love us our whole lives, our Lord loves us even more and greater and it never ceases. He died on the cross because He loves us. His mercies, His grace, is not conditional nor does it only last for a few months or years. God’s mercy is granted to you all the days of your life, even today, in the midst of sorrow.

Great is our Lord’s faithfulness to us! In the midst of lamentations, in the midst of pain, in the midst of sorrow, in the midst of struggles, our Lord’s mercies will never fail us. There is no other piece of our lives that can promise us this. At the school, there will not always be an ear to listen. On the farm, there oftentimes seems to be no mercy. At work, we may struggle with various trials. Even in our homes, there are times of lamentations. But you must always remember and never forget.

Great is our Lord’s faithfulness to you. The Lord is your portion, therefore you will hope in Him. Our hope is not in our jobs or our children. Our hope, dearly beloved saints of God, our hope is in the Lord. This hope that we have is this very thing, that our sorrow will be turned into joy. Rejoice, for you shall see the Lord again, again you will see Him, this time face-to-face in clouds of glory.

Great is His faithfulness. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that we should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. In our lives, we wait for many things, for many prayers to be answered, for many children to come home. Let us also wait for the salvation of the Lord. Let us also wait, for the Lord shall return to bring us, His children, home. Let us also wait, and as we wait, His mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness is great every day.

So also, you have sorrow now, but the Lord will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you forever and ever.

In the holy name of Jesus, Amen.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Up Through Endless Ranks of Angels

Up through endless ranks of angels,
Cries of triumph in His ears,
To His heavenly throne ascending,
Having vanquished all their fears,
Christ looks down upon His faithful,
Leaving them in happy tears.

In this first stanza, the hymnwriter puts us in the place of Christ. As Christ ascends into the heavens, “through endless ranks of angels,” He hears “cries of triumph.” Certainly we think of “Alleluia!” We think of “Christ is risen!” We think of “Glory to God in the highest!” The angels and archangels and all the company of heaven rejoice and sing that the Lord is living, that King comes back “to His heavenly throne ascending.” He has vanquished their fears and leaves them in happy tears. “It is finished,” the salvation of souls, the redemption of the whole world.

Death-destroying, life-restoring,
Proven equal to our need,
Now for us before the Father
As our brother intercede;
Flesh that for our world was wounded,
Living, for the wounded plead!

The first Adam died because of His sin and therefore all die. But the second Adam, Jesus, destroyed death and restored life to all creation. What we needed the Lord hath provided. This stanza emphasizes that the Lord Jesus pleads and intercedes for us, His people to the Father. Yes, Jesus died on the cross. Yes, Jesus rose from the dead. But His work is not done. He still prays for us, for the wounded here below, that grace on us would bestow!

To our lives of wanton wandering
Send Your Spirit, promised guide;
Through our lives of fear and failure
With Your power and love abide;
Welcome us, as You were welcomed,
To an endless Eastertide.

In our lives of wanton wandering … Isn’t that a wonderful phrase for our lives as Christians? We are yet wandering in the wilderness waiting for the return of the Lord. And though we love the Lord, we love ourselves, our sin, and our desires even now too. We are wanton wanderers.

But notice the prayer we pray. “Send Your Spirit, promised Guide.” We rely and hope on the work of the Holy Spirit. We know God sent the Spirit, that we would never be alone. Think the Ascension promise, “Lo, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Holy Spirit will guide and teach us, enlightened and strengthen us. That we will be welcomed to an endless Eastertide in heaven forever!

Alleluia, Alleluia!
Oh, to breathe the Spirit’s grace!
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Oh, to see the Father’s face!
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Oh, to feel the Son’s embrace!
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska