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October 8, 2024

Broadcast

                        Jacob's Ladder - Part 2
                             Genesis 28:12
                              10/08/2024


        12   And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set
             up on the earth, and the top of it reached to
             heaven. And behold, the angels of God were
             ascending and descending on it!  (ESV)

        An old Spiritual hymn is based on the story of Jacob as he
   fled from his enraged brother, Esau.  The first verse of the hymn
   says:
        We are climbing Jacob's ladder,
        We are climbing Jacob's ladder,
        We are climbing Jacob's ladder,
        Soldiers of the cross.[1]


        Moses recorded Jacob's vision:
        And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up
        on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And
        behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending
        on it!


        Immediately we see a disconnect between the song and the
   Biblical account.  Jacob was asleep.  In the vision, angels, the
   messengers of God, ascended and descended from heaven to earth to
   do as God commanded.  They bring hope to those who believe in the
   God of Abraham, they help protect the Church, they proclaim God's
   glory.

        We are not on the ladder ascending to heaven.  That would
   make heaven a reward for hard work, for our efforts.  But our
   salvation from sin and eternal death is a gift, announced by
   God's messengers, given to us out of His love, grace, and mercy.

        Tomorrow we will discover more about this vision, the hope
   it gave to Jacob, and the comfort it brings to each person.

        May our Lord grant us faith to hear, learn, and trust in His
   Word alone.  Amen.










   ____________________

   1. https://hymnary.org/text/we_are_climbing_jacobs_ladder_we_are_cli/fulltexts

October 7, 2024

Broadcast

                            Jacob's Ladder - Part 1
                               Genesis 28:10-11
                                  10/07/2024


            10   Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.
            11   And he came to a certain place and stayed there
                 that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of
                 the stones of the place, he put it under his head
                 and lay down in that place to sleep.  (ESV)

            There is an old Spiritual which appears in about 100 English
       language hymnals which is based on the story of Jacob's Ladder.
       This week we will look at the theology of that Spiritual in light
       of the story of Jacob, and the meaning of his dream.

            As you may remember, Esau and Jacob were the twin sons of
       Isaac, one of the Patriarchs of the Jewish people.  Jacob, the
       younger, tricked Esau out of his birthright and inheritance.
       When Isaac was dying, Esau vowed to kill Jacob.  Thus Jacob was
       fleeing for his life.

            Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.  And he
            came to a certain place and stayed there that night,
            because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of
            the place, he put it under his head and lay down in
            that place to sleep.


            Alone, exhausted, with scant supplies, and aware of the
       threat posed by his brother, Jacob stopped for the evening.
       Lacking any sort of provisions for his own comfort, he lay down
       on the ground with a rock for a pillow.

            God, in His grace, love, and mercy, had plans for Jacob.
       While Jacob lay on the hard, cold ground, our Lord gave him a
       vision of the future.

            May our Lord give us the faith to trust Him even when we are
       in times of distress.  Amen.
  

October 4, 2024

Broadcast

                        Serve the LORD - Part 5
                         Deuteronomy 10:12-13
                              10/04/2024


        12   And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God
             require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to
             walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the
             LORD
        13   your God with all your heart and with all your
             soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of
             the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your
             good?  (ESV)

        This week we have been looking at Moses' final words to the
   children of Israel.
        And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of
        you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his
        ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all
        your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the
        commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am
        commanding you today for your good?


        There were four questions we asked: What is a god?  Who is
   your god?  Who is the Triune God?  Why should we serve Him?

        The last question, how do we serve Him?  Moses gives us the
   answer, that we should love Him with our whole heart and soul.
   We trust in Him in stead of our own strength, instead of our
   wealth, instead of our social standing.

        What is the outcome of that trust in the LORD God?  We
   believe His Word, know of His grace, and are assured of life
   everlasting because the Son of God bore the guilt of our sin.
   The result of loving the Lord is our desire to serve Him by
   serving our neighbor.  The commandments which God gave to Moses
   instruct us on how we love God and each other, what it means to
   serve Him.

        I hope that this week's discussion as caused you to ask some
   questions, to want some answers.  Please join us as we hear and
   study God's Word each Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.  at Trinity
   Lutheran Church.

        May our LORD God grant you the peace of knowing of His love
   and mercy.  Amen.

October 3, 2024

Broadcast

                        Serve the LORD - Part 4
                         Deuteronomy 10:12-13
                              10/03/2024


        12   And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God
             require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to
             walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the
             LORD
        13   your God with all your heart and with all your
             soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of
             the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your
             good?  (ESV)

        Moses told the children of Israel as they prepared to enter
   the land of Canaan:
        And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of
        you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his
        ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all
        your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the
        commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am
        commanding you today for your good?


        Why should anyone serve the Lord God?  Time and again, as we
   read in the first five books of the Bible, and as we learn from
   the books of history in the Old Testament, the children of Israel
   turned from God to idols.  Saint Paul wrote to the congregation
   in Rome:
        For although they knew God, they did not honor him as
        God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in
        their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
        Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged
        the glory of the immortal God for images resembling
        mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.[1]


        The children of Israel, like you and me, desired a god they
   to see and touch.  It is difficult to worship and trust in a god
   who is not confined to a physical place, but is present
   everywhere and for all eternity.  We desire to worship the
   created rather than the Creator.

        As we learn of God's love, grace, and mercy, we are drawn to
   trust in Him.  As we come to know that God created the heavens
   and earth, that He still sustains them, we put aside the
   creature.  As we realize that we have sinned, and that God has
   provided a Savior to redeem us, we serve Him with our heart and
   soul.

        May our Lord grant us faith to see His love and grace.
   Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Romans 1:21-23 (ESV)

October 2, 2024

Broadcast

                        Serve the LORD - Part 3
                         Deuteronomy 10:12-13
                              10/02/2024


        12   And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God
             require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to
             walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the
             LORD
        13   your God with all your heart and with all your
             soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of
             the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your
             good?  (ESV)

        Before the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan,
   Moses taught them of the God who had delivered them from Egypt.
        And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of
        you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his
        ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all
        your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the
        commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am
        commanding you today for your good?


        Who is the LORD God?  His Name, which is hidden in the word
   LORD, means ``I Am.''  He existed before the beginning of the
   universe.  He brought everything into existence with the power of
   His voice.

        Because His creation, humans, turned from His grace and
   mercy, and because of His eternal love for His people, God the
   Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price of our sins.
   The truth is simple, any sin, no matter how small, condemns us.
   It is our nature to sin, the nature which our first parents took
   upon themselves when they defied God.  Therefore, the LORD God,
   the eternal and almighty, determined to redeem us from the power
   of death.

        By our own reason or strength we cannot believe in the LORD
   God, we cannot trust in the innocent suffering and death of Jesus
   to pay the price of our sins.  Our first thoughts about the good
   news that Jesus conquered death by bursting forth from the tomb
   is unbelief.  But the Holy Spirit, who comes to us in God's Word
   and the Sacraments, creates and sustains the faith with trusts in
   God alone.

        We confess the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
   This is the God Moses calls us to serve.  May our Lord grant us
   the wisdom to hear His Word and to trust in Him.  Amen.

October 1, 2024

Broadcast

                        Serve the LORD - Part 2
                         Deuteronomy 10:12-13
                              10/01/2024


        12   And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God
             require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to
             walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the
             LORD
        13   your God with all your heart and with all your
             soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of
             the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your
             good?  (ESV)

        Moses instructed the children of Israel:
        And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of
        you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his
        ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all
        your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the
        commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am
        commanding you today for your good?


        Who do you trust?  Where do you turn when everything seems
   to be falling apart?  In whom, in what, do you invest your time,
   talents, and treasures?  That is your god.

        Of course, the biggest false god is money, followed by other
   possessions.  Look at the value of your dollar now as opposed to
   a half-decade ago.  That money is not worth as much as it was a
   year ago.  We work for that money, we save that money, but in the
   end all of our schemes to use that resource in our old age seem
   to fail.

        The same is true of possessions, such as land, precious
   metals, or collectible automobiles.  Eventually we serve them.
   They don't provide long-term benefits, for often that which seems
   of value to us is of no use to others.  Our children, our
   neighbors, simply don't want those things we hold dear.

        In the end, anything created can become a false god.  When
   we need the assurance that someone cares, created things simply
   fail.

        But we all have a god, something we trust when life gives us
   tornadoes, floods, sickness, and death.  We confess that the one
   True God created heaven and earth, thus stands above creation.
   We also confess that He showers us with His love, grace, and
   mercy.

        May our Lord open our eyes to see Him as our only hope in
   time of need.  Amen.

September 30, 2024

Broadcast

                        Serve the LORD - Part 1
                         Deuteronomy 10:12-13
                              09/30/2024


        12   And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God
             require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to
             walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the
             LORD
        13   your God with all your heart and with all your
             soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of
             the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your
             good?  (ESV)

        This week's Old Testament lesson from the book of
   Deuteronomy summarizes the First Commandment which Moses received
   from the hand of God.  There are four questions we will ask this
   week: What is a god?  Who is your god?  Who is the Triune God?
   Why should we serve Him?

        Moses spoke to the children of Israel as they prepared to
   enter the land of Canaan.  Because Moses had dishonored God in
   frustration with the people, he would not be allowed to go with
   them, but was preparing to pass the leadership to Joshua and be
   gathered to his ancestors.  The book of Deuteronomy is
   essentially the last will and testament of Moses.  He instructed
   the people:
        And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of
        you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his
        ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all
        your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the
        commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am
        commanding you today for your good?


        What is a god?  We all have them, even if we are not
   religious.  A god is something you trust, something from which
   you expect all good, something or someone to whom you will go in
   times of danger or distress.  Everyone trusts something, everyone
   firmly believes there is help in times of trouble.  Tomorrow we
   will identify some of the gods we worship.

        May our Lord grant us faith to know and understand His love
   and mercy.  Amen.

September 27, 2024

Broadcast

                          Humility -- Part 5
                            Proverbs 25:14
                              09/27/2024


        14   Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who
             boasts of a gift he does not give.  (ESV)

        Our Old Testament lesson from the book of Proverbs ends with
   a warning.  King Solomon, in his wisdom, said:
        Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts
        of a gift he does not give.


        These harsh words remind us that as we deal with others, we
   need to keep our promises.  This also reminds us that the work we
   do must meet the standards expected by our customers, otherwise
   we are harming both them and our reputation.

        In humility, we always seek to love our neighbor as
   ourselves.  Everything we do, therefore, should be the best we
   can accomplish, for our neighbor deserves nothing less.

        However, because we are by nature sinful and unclean,
   because we are by nature selfish and turned inward, loving our
   neighbor is something we cannot do on our own.  Our Lord has
   called us to Himself, offering to us His righteousness, giving us
   a new heart that clings to Him.  Even when we fail, Jesus Christ
   assures us of the Father's love and mercy, giving to us
   redemption from sin and death.

        Come join us on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity
   Lutheran Church to hear more of God's grace, the love He pours
   out upon us because of His mercy.

        May our Lord grant us wisdom and strength to serve Him by
   serving our neighbor.  Amen.

September 26, 2024

Broadcast

                          Humility -- Part 4
                            Proverbs 25:13
                              09/26/2024


        13   Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a
             faithful messenger to those who send him; he
             refreshes the soul of his masters.  (ESV)

        John Donne, an English poet and clergyman who lived in the
   late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, wrote: ``No man
   is an Island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the
   Continent, a part of the main.''  Our actions, our words, affect
   others.  Our actions, our words, reflect on our family, on our
   friends, on our employers, on our church.

        King Solomon wrote:
        Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a
        faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes
        the soul of his masters.


        We might use the analogy that a faithful messenger, someone
   we have entrusted with our reputation, someone who represents us,
   is as satisfying as a cold beer on a hot summer day.  Or maybe a
   tall, cold, glass of iced tea with a slice of lemon, if you don't
   drink beer.

        As we show humility in serving others, as we seek to give
   more than expected, we bring honor to those with whom we are
   associated.  A surly, unhelpful store clerk can do a great deal
   of damage to a business.  A happy, helpful, courteous employee
   can enhance a store's reputation, bringing in more customers.
   That was one of the messages of the classic Christmas movie,
   ``Miracle on 34th Street.''

        In loving our neighbor as ourselves we reflect the love of
   God which caused Him to send Jesus Christ to pay the price of our
   sin.  As we have received God's rich love, grace, and mercy, we
   pray that we show that mercy to others.  We forgive as we are
   forgiven, we serve as we are served.

        May our Lord grant us the willing heart to reflect His love
   to others.  Amen.

September 25, 2024

Broadcast

                          Humility -- Part 3
                           Proverbs 25:11-12
                              09/25/2024


        11   A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a
             setting of silver.
        12   Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise
             reprover to a listening ear.  (ESV)

        Yesterday we heard Solomon's words about quickly taking
   offense, about quickly making an issue public to the harm of our
   neighbor and ourselves.  Today he continues with the wisdom to be
   open to instruction and learning.
        A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting
        of silver.  Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is
        a wise reprover to a listening ear.


        There was only one perfect Man, and the religious leaders of
   His day caused Him to be nailed to a cross.  You and I, on the
   other hand, can and do make mistakes, have misunderstandings, and
   always need to learn.

        How do we handle criticism?  Do we turn away, stop our ears,
   and attack the one who is trying to improve us?  Or do we
   respectfully listen, ponder the words, and seek to remove any
   dissension which our actions may have caused?  As the ones
   offering criticism, do we go on the attack with accusations, or
   do we discuss the situation calmly and without suggesting an evil
   intent behind the actions?

        Solomon would have us open to learning, to hearing another
   point of view, and responding with thanks.  As we consider the
   criticism, we may disagree, we may not change our actions, but we
   will have gained an insight to the impact of our words.  We may
   determine that we have not truly reflected God's love, thus we
   may confess our sin and receive forgiveness.

        During this election season, especially, we need to realize
   that Jesus Christ was willing to die for all people, that all are
   precious in His sight.  Therefore, we need to speak and act with
   respect, showing love to our neighbor.  May our Lord grant us the
   wisdom to treat each person, even those with whom we may not
   agree, with love and honor.  Amen.