Author: admin

November 26, 2024

Broadcast

                           The End - Part 2
                            Isaiah 65:19-20
                              11/26/2024


        19   I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my
             people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of
             weeping and the cry of distress.
        20   No more shall there be in it an infant who lives
             but a few days, or an old man who does not fill
             out his days, for the young man shall die a
             hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years
             old shall be accursed.  (ESV)

        Throughout the Bible, Jerusalem has been a symbol for the
   Church.  Abraham offered his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah, where
   the city was later built.  David bought the threshing floor where
   the altar of the Temple was placed.  Jesus died outside the
   gates, and rose again from the tomb outside the city walls.

        Jerusalem rejected God, and was restored.  It was destroyed
   and rebuilt.  The people disappointed God, and will, on the last
   day, be His delight.  Isaiah wrote:
        I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people;
        no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and
        the cry of distress.  No more shall there be in it an
        infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does
        not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a
        hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old
        shall be accursed.


        The new, recreated Jerusalem, had no room for evil, for
   disasters, for death, for the suffering caused by sin.  Christ
   Jesus paid the price of sin by His death and resurrection.  He
   destroyed death by rising again.  His resurrection foreshadows
   our own resurrection, our own eternal life.

        While we await the new, recreated Jerusalem, while the
   Church longs for the coming of her Bridegroom, we are assured
   that God keeps His promises.  This vision of Isaiah agrees with
   the vision of Saint John in Revelations, and agrees with the
   words of Jesus Christ as He taught His disciples.  In the
   meantime, we do not deny the reality of suffering and death, but
   do not recognize it as being final.  May our Lord grant us faith
   to trust in Jesus for our redemption, and in the promises given
   through His prophets and apostles.  Amen.

November 25, 2024

Broadcast

                           The End - Part 1
                            Isaiah 65:17-18
                              11/25/2024


        17   For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,
             and the former things shall not be remembered or
             come into mind.
        18   But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I
             create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a
             joy, and her people to be a gladness.  (ESV)

        For the past several weeks we have been looking at Jesus'
   return to judge the living and the dead.  Yesterday marked the
   Last Sunday of the Church Year, where the readings warned us to
   be watchful and ready for His coming.  We do not and cannot know
   when that will happen, so we need to always be prepared.

        What is the goal for the Christian?  Life everlasting in the
   presence of the Triune God, ever dwelling in the blessed mansions
   of heaven.  This goal is not something we attain because of our
   hard work, but it is a gift from God to those who trust in Him.

        Isaiah the prophet, writing about 700 years before the birth
   of Jesus, saw the second coming of the Messiah.
        For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and
        the former things shall not be remembered or come into
        mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I
        create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and
        her people to be a gladness.


        Isaiah sees the physical reality of God's redeeming and
   restoring work of salvation.  This sinful world will pass away,
   but He creates a new world, a new Jerusalem, for His people.
   That which the faithful forget is the pain and anguish caused by
   sin, for our Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself our
   transgressions.

        May our Lord grant that we are ready for His return and His
   eternal blessings.  Amen.

November 22, 2024

Broadcast

                        The Son of Man - Part 5
                              Daniel 7:14
                              11/22/2024


        14   And to him was given dominion and glory and a
             kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages
             should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting
             dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
             kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.  (ESV)

        Since the day when Adam sinned, thus condemning all mankind,
   until now, the Church has awaited the coming of the Son of God to
   judge the living and the dead.  God's mercy and forgiveness was
   proclaimed by the prophets, by King David, by the Apostles, and
   Jesus, Himself.

        The Kingdom of God is not temporary like the kingdoms of
   this world, but an everlasting kingdom.

        Daniel wrote:
        And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
        that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve
        him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which
        shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not
        be destroyed.


        Jesus Christ, who called Himself the Son of Man, truly shall
   receive all glory and might.  His kingdom shall have no end.

        Who are the members of this Kingdom?  Those who believe that
   Jesus died and rose again to pay the price of our sin.  That
   eternal salvation, that eternal life, is a gift we do not earn,
   but are offered for the sake of Jesus Christ.

        That is the message you will hear each Sunday at Trinity
   Lutheran Church as we gather at 9:00 a.m.  Salvation from sin and
   eternal death is given to us as God's gift which we receive as we
   trust in God's almighty love as shown in Christ Jesus.  Please
   join us to hear this great message of hope and peace, that your
   sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ Jesus.

        May our Lord come quickly.  Amen.

November 21, 2024

Broadcast

                        The Son of Man - Part 4
                              Daniel 7:13
                              11/21/2024


        13   I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the
             clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man,
             and he came to the Ancient of Days and was
             presented before him.  (ESV)

        Daniel, the prophet, who wrote about six hundred years
   before the birth of Jesus, saw a vision of the judgment of the
   world.  According to Daniel, four empires would rise and fall,
   which happened just as he had seen in the vision.  As we read the
   book which bears his name, we come to know of God's almighty
   power, strength, and grace.

        Following the judgment of the four kingdoms, Daniel records
   the coming of the son of man.
        I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds
        of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came
        to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.


        The son of man comes with the clouds of heaven, a
   description which has been used with the appearance of God.
   Jesus uses this title to identify Himself over eighty times as
   recorded in the four books of the Evangelists.  Clearly this is a
   reference to the two natures of Christ, true God and true man.
   This understanding of the Savior as both God and man was dimly
   glimpsed in Genesis, when the serpent was cursed.  ``I will put
   enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and
   her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise
   his heel.''[1]

        Jesus, the sinless Son of God, the sinless Son of the virgin
   Mary, truly paid the price of our sin by dying on the cross and
   rising again.  Even now He is at the right hand of the Father
   awaiting the day and hour on which He will return in glory.  May
   our Lord grant us faith to trust in the sinless Son of Man for
   our eternal redemption from sin and death.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

November 20, 2024

Broadcast

                        The Son of Man - Part 3
                            Daniel 7:11-12
                              11/20/2024


        11   I looked then because of the sound of the great
             words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked,
             the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and
             given over to be burned with fire.
        12   As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was
             taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a
             season and a time.  (ESV)

        This morning we are discussing the judgment on the last day
   of the world as recorded by the prophet Daniel.  In his vision,
   he had seen the four kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and
   Rome come to power only to be replaced.  Daniel saw the coming of
   the Antichrist who fought against the Church and against the
   truth that our salvation from sin and death is because of God's
   grace and love alone.

        I looked then because of the sound of the great words
        that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast
        was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be
        burned with fire.  As for the rest of the beasts, their
        dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged
        for a season and a time.


        The kingdoms of the world, the power of the Antichrist who
   fights against the truth of the Gospel, is destroyed at the
   judgment.  Nothing unholy can stand in the presence of the
   almighty God as He sits on His throne, the books of judgment open
   before Him.

        God, the righteous Judge, in His mercy, allows the kingdoms
   of this world to remain for a while.  Jesus, and the prophets and
   apostles, taught that God desires all people to be saved and come
   to the knowledge of the truth.  Therefore, even the nations who
   seek to destroy the truth of the Gospel are given time to repent.

        How long is that time?  No one knows the day or hour when
   Jesus will return, when the books will be opened, and the
   judgment will happen.  Therefore, Daniel's vision is a call for
   each of us to seek first the kingdom of God, even as Jesus taught
   His followers.

        May our Lord grant us His love, grace, and mercy as we await
   the end of the ages.  Amen.

November 19, 2024

Broadcast

                        The Son of Man - Part 2
                             Daniel 7:9-10
                              11/19/2024


        9    As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient
             of days took his seat; his clothing was white as
             snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his
             throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning
             fire.
        10   A stream of fire issued and came out from before
             him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten
             thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the
             court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
             (ESV)

        Last Sunday's Old Testament lesson was from the book of
   Daniel.  He wrote of a vision of the final judgment.
        As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of
        days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and
        the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was
        fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.  A stream
        of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand
        thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten
        thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment,
        and the books were opened.


        The vision shows God the Father, the Ancient of Days, coming
   as the righteous judge.  His pure white clothing and hair
   represent His holiness, while the flames purify the surroundings
   of the judgment scene.

        Countless angels are before the throne, just as Jesus had
   spoken through Saint Matthew.  Every person who ever lived will
   stand before the throne as the charges and verdict are read.

        Jesus, as recorded by Saint John, explained the standards by
   which all people will be judged.  ``Whoever believes in him is
   not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already,
   because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of
   God.''[1] The faith which holds to Jesus Christ as our Redeemer
   from sin and eternal death is, itself, a gift of God as the Holy
   Spirit calls us by the Gospel, and marks us as God's own child
   through the Sacraments.

        May our Lord open our hearts and minds to His grace, love,
   and mercy so that we may not fear His coming, but rejoice in our
   salvation.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. John 3:18 (ESV)

November 18, 2024

Broadcast

                        The Son of Man - Part 1
                             Daniel 7:9-10
                              11/18/2024


        9    As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient
             of days took his seat; his clothing was white as
             snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his
             throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning
             fire.
        10   A stream of fire issued and came out from before
             him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten
             thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the
             court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
             (ESV)

        The focus of the last three weeks of the Church Year is the
   coming of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead.
   Although the Church has always confessed the Second Coming, many
   people now question this teaching.  In so doing, the are
   fulfilling the words of Saint Peter, who wrote:
        Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in
        the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful
        desires.  They will say, ``Where is the promise of his
        coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all
        things are continuing as they were from the beginning
        of creation.''[1]


        Yet, six hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the
   prophet Daniel wrote of his vision of the final judgment.
        As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of
        days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and
        the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was
        fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.  A stream
        of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand
        thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten
        thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment,
        and the books were opened.


        We believe, teach, and confess that the words written by
   Daniel, the words written by Peter, and the words spoken by Jesus
   are true.  There will be an accounting of our faith, which is
   given evidence by our works.

        May our Lord give us the wisdom to hear and believe His
   Word, that we may have life with Him.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. II Peter 3:3-4 (ESV)

November 8, 2024

Broadcast

                      For All the Saints - Part 5
                            Revelation 7:17
                              11/08/2024


        17   Therefore they are before the throne of God, and
             serve him day and night in his temple; and he who
             sits on the throne will shelter them with his
             presence.  (ESV)

        There is a tension in the Church, the realization that the
   victory over sin and death was won by Jesus Christ.  Yet, the
   victory celebration remains in the future, for we wait for His
   return to judge the living and the dead.  All Saints Day is a
   prelude to the final weeks of the Church Year where we will hear
   of the last days of this world.

        Meanwhile, as we receive a foretaste of the Wedding Feast of
   the Lamb of God of which the Church Triumphant partakes, we hold
   in faith the promise of God's grace and mercy.  Before us, even
   as we deal with ridicule, persecution, and marginalization
   because of our faith, is the vision of heaven, of our eternal
   life with Jesus Christ.

        Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve
        him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the
        throne will shelter them with his presence.


        Each Sunday morning at Trinity Lutheran Church, we hear
   again of God's love for those He created.  The Father sent His
   Son to defeat sin and death, to draw us to Himself, to give us
   the gift of life everlasting.  The death of Jesus is our life,
   His resurrection is our hope.

        If you are wearied by the changes and chances of this world,
   if you are burdened with the realization that you have failed,
   that you have sinned, please join us a 9:00 a.m to learn more of
   God's grace and mercy.  Join with the angels and archangels and
   all the company of heaven to receive from the Creator of all
   things the fullness of His love.  Amen.

November 7, 2024

Broadcast

                      For All the Saints - Part 4
                          Revelation 7:15-16
                              11/07/2024


        15   Therefore they are before the throne of God, and
             serve him day and night in his temple; and he who
             sits on the throne will shelter them with his
             presence.
        16   They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
             the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching
             heat.  (ESV)

        Saint Paul once wrote: ``But we do not want you to be
   uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may
   not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe
   that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will
   bring with him those who have fallen asleep.''[1]

        We believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of
   the body, and the life everlasting.  Saint John comforts us with
   the vision of heaven:
        Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve
        him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the
        throne will shelter them with his presence.  They shall
        hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall
        not strike them, nor any scorching heat.


        Our grief is not for the saints in heaven, but for our own
   loss, our own loneliness.  The hymn of the day for All Saints
   speaks of the struggle we have while awaiting the call of our
   Savior.
        Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine!
        We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
        Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
        Alleluia! Alleluia![2]


        May our Lord comfort us with His grace and mercy, even as we
   long to see Him face to face.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (ESV)
   2. LSB 677, verse 2: ``For All the Saints''

November 6, 2024

Broadcast

                      For All the Saints - Part 3
                          Revelation 7:13-14
                              11/06/2024


        13   Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ``Who
             are these, clothed in white robes, and from where
             have they come?''
        14   I said to him, ``Sir, you know.'' And he said to
             me, ``These are the ones coming out of the great
             tribulation. They have washed their robes and made
             them white in the blood of the Lamb.''  (ESV)

        We believe, teach, and confess that the blood of Jesus
   Christ which He shed on the cross paid the complete price of our
   sins.  We believe, teach, and confess that His glorious
   resurrection foreshadows our own resurrection, that death lies
   defeated.  We believe, teach, and confess, as the author of
   Hebrews wrote: ``And just as it is appointed for man to die once,
   and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered
   once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to
   deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for
   him.''[1]

        As Saint John looked at the heavenly chorus, he engaged in
   an interesting conversation.
        Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ``Who are
        these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they
        come?''  I said to him, ``Sir, you know.'' And he said
        to me, ``These are the ones coming out of the great
        tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them
        white in the blood of the Lamb.''


        Long before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah declared:
   ``though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as
   snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like
   wool.''[2] Saint John also wrote: ``the blood of Jesus his Son
   cleanses us from all sin.''[3]

        This cleansing is God's gift given to us for the sake of
   Christ Jesus.  Our good works, our desires, contribute nothing to
   our salvation.  It is by grace alone through faith alone for the
   sake of Jesus alone that we have the assurance of eternal life.
   May our Lord grant us faith to hold to His promises of
   forgiveness and life with Him forever.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Hebrews 9:27-28 (ESV)
   2. Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)
   3. 1 John 1:8 (ESV)