The Fall - Part 2
Genesis 3:1-3
02/20/2024
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other
beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He
said to the woman, ``Did God actually say, You
shall not eat of any tree in the garden?''
2 And the woman said to the serpent, ``We may eat of
the fruit of the trees in the garden,
3 but God said, `You shall not eat of the fruit of
the tree that is in the midst of the garden,
neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'''
(ESV)
We believe, teach, and confess that the account of the fall
of man into sin as recorded in Genesis is true. God's response
echoed throughout history and gives us hope today, even when we
are surrounded by sin and death.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of
the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the
woman, ``Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any
tree in the garden?'' And the woman said to the
serpent, ``We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the
garden, but God said, `You shall not eat of the fruit
of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither
shall you touch it, lest you die.'''
The devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh desire that
we turn our backs on God, that we ignore Him and His love. We
desire to be in control, even when everything is falling apart.
Sin begins with doubting God's Word. ``Did God actually say?''
Did God actually give a single command to Adam, who in turn
told Eve? Did God actually promise a Savior who would pay the
price of our sin, of our rebellion? Did God actually raise Jesus
from the dead? Did God actually say that Jesus will come again
to judge the living and the dead? If we doubt God's Word, we
eventually will have no hope when everything is falling apart.
Because God gave a single command, because Adam did not protect
Eve when she disobeyed the command, and then also disobeyed, sin
and death entered the world. Yet God, in His mercy, even on the
day of the first sin, graciously promised to redeem us from sin
and death.
May our Lord comfort you with the sure and certain knowledge
that Jesus died and rose again for your redemption. Amen.Category: Moments of Meditation
Daily devotions as heard on KJOE 106.1 FM
The Fall — Part 1: 02/19/2024
The Fall - Part 1
Genesis 3:1
02/19/2024
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other
beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He
said to the woman, ``Did God actually say, You
shall not eat of any tree in the garden?'' (ESV)
The season of Lent is a purple season in the church, a
penitential season where we both ponder and repent of our sins.
Therefore, in many traditions, the Old Testament lesson for the
First Sunday in Lent is from the third chapter of Genesis, the
fall into sin.
The scene opens with the serpent, the devil, a fallen angel,
confronting the woman God created as a companion to Adam. Adam
was with the woman, who was later named Eve, and did not
intervene in the conversation.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of
the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the
woman, ``Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any
tree in the garden?''
Here we run into the first problem, is the Bible the Word of
God, or is the Bible the word of men that may contain some
nuggets of the truth? In other words, can we trust this account?
``Did God actually say?''
We believe, teach, and confess that the Bible is the
inspired, inerrant, and true Word of God. Although modern
science disagrees with the Biblical account of creation, it
disagrees because modern science will not admit the possibility
of the existence of God. Unfortunately, modern science cannot
answer the question of why or how the universe came into being.
This week we will look at Adam and Eve, their fall into sin,
and what it means to us.
May our Lord bless you this week as we ponder His loving
response to our transgressions. Amen.Repent — Part 5: 02/16/2024
Repent - Part 5
Joel 2:18-19
02/16/2024
18 Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had
pity on his people.
19 The LORD answered and said to his people,
``Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and
oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more
make you a reproach among the nations.'' (ESV)
The season of Lent, the message of Ash Wednesday, is a call
to repent of our sins, to throw ourselves on God's rich love,
grace, and mercy. This goes against our sinful human nature, for
we desire to be like God, to have things our way, and to have
complete control of all we do.
The reality is simple, however. We have sinned and we have
no ability to pay the price of our sin. As individuals, as a
community, as a nation, God calls us to return to Him so that He
may be gracious and merciful to us.
The prophet Joel wrote:
Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity
on his people. The LORD answered and said to his
people, ``Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and
oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make
you a reproach among the nations.''
We have hope. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, bore the
price of our sin upon the cross. His death is our death, His
resurrection is the assurance of our resurrection. Our Lord had
pity upon us, and has blessed us by declaring that we are holy in
His sight for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Join us at Trinity Lutheran Church at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday to
learn more of God's love. We also have Wednesday services at
noon and 7:00 p.m. during Lent to hear of God's rich grace and
mercy.
May our Lord bless you with the peace of knowing your sins
are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.Repent — Part 4: 02/15/2024
Repent - Part 4
Joel 2:15-17
02/15/2024
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call
a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people. Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders; gather the children, even
nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his
room, and the bride her chamber.
17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the
priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say,
``Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your
heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples, `Where is
their God?''' (ESV)
Too many people believe if they simply go to church on
Christmas and Easter that they are pleasing God. Nothing can be
farther from the truth. All have sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God, all need to repent.
Easter is meaningless without the sure and certain knowledge
that we are the ones who caused Jesus to be nailed to the cross.
The good news of His death and resurrection for our redemption
cannot be understood unless we truly prepare by knowing of our
need for a Savior.
The prophet Joel wrote:
Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a
solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the
congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children,
even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his
room, and the bride her chamber.
Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests,
the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, ``Spare your
people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations. Why should they say among
the peoples, `Where is their God?'''
No one is exempt from appearing before the Lord in
repentance. The elders, the children, infants, those
celebrating, those mourning all are called upon to repent and
throw themselves on God's mercy. Know that the ministers of the
LORD are praying for your redemption, and are lifting up their
congregations to God for His grace.
May our Lord grant you the pure desire to come before Him in
repentance. Amen.Repent — Part 3: 02/14/2023
Repent - Part 3
Joel 2:14
02/14/2024
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and
leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and
a drink offering for the LORD your God? (ESV)
Today is Ash Wednesday. This evening, at Trinity Lutheran
Church, many of our members will receive ashes in the sign of the
cross on their foreheads. They will hear the words of the
funeral service, ``Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.''
Tonight is one of the two days in the church year when the
paraments on the altar are optionally black. Our sin caused
Jesus to suffer death on the cross, and we mourn because of our
transgressions. The forty days commemorate Jesus' temptation in
the wilderness after His baptism, a time when He fasted and
wrestled with the devil.
Yet there is hope. The prophet Joel wrote:
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and
leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a
drink offering for the LORD your God?
God allows disasters, illnesses, and tragedy to humble us
before Him. This is to call us to repentance. In repenting, we
receive the assurance that our sins are absolved, removed
completely, and we are declared holy and righteous in God's
sight.
Along with the forgiveness of sins comes every blessing from
God. Because we trust in Him, we offer sacrifices of prayer and
thanksgiving, in the same way that the Old Testament grain and
drink offerings acknowledged God's rich mercy.
We gather this evening at 7:00 p.m. at Trinity to begin this
penitential season. May our Lord bless you during these forty
days so that you may know of His boundless love. Amen.Repent — Part 2: 02/13/2024
Repent - Part 2
Joel 2:12-13
02/13/2024
12 Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to me with
all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and
with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.
Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious
and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
(ESV)
Joel, the prophet, wrote:
Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all
your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with
mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.
Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love; and he relents over disaster.
Tomorrow, as we begin the season of Lent, many of us will be
marked with the sign of the cross using ashes. This is a sign of
repentance, a sign that we acknowledge our sin and our inability
to pay for our own transgressions.
What is repentance? We believe, teach, and confess that
repentance has two parts. The first is contrition, sorrow over
our sin, and the terror or conscience that comes from knowing we
deserve eternal condemnation. The second is faith, which comes
from the Gospel, which says that Jesus Christ bore the guilt of
our sin. Faith acknowledges Jesus' death and resurrection and
trusts in Him alone for our salvation.
Why can we trust that Jesus' death and resurrection are
sufficient for our redemption from sin and eternal death?
Because of God's abundant and steadfast love, because He is
gracious and merciful.
May our Lord grant us the wisdom to see His grace, to
repent, and to hold firmly to the promise of life through Jesus
Christ. Amen.Repent — Part 1: 02/12/2024
Repent - Part 1
Joel 2:12-13
02/12/2024
12 Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to me with
all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and
with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.
Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious
and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
(ESV)
Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, forty days, plus
Sundays, which bring us to Easter. The Church uses this time to
reflect on our sin, to repent, and to prepare for our Lord's
crucifixion on Good Friday. Our sins, our transgressions, our
selfish nature put Him on the cross. Jesus' death and
resurrection are our life.
Joel, the prophet, is one of the men sent by God to call the
children of Israel to repent and return to God. He wrote:
Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all
your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with
mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.
Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love; and he relents over disaster.
The nations of Judah and Israel had forgotten God, and had
gone after worthless idols. Although God had preserved them in
Egypt, and later under David and Solomon, both the leaders and
people rejected the news of God's love. Today we find the same
sin in this nation, where we have forgotten God's rich blessings,
where everything but the good news of salvation by grace through
faith for the sake of Christ is proclaimed.
May our Lord grant that we heed His call to repent, to
return to Him, for our everlasting blessing. Amen.Watering the Earth — Part 5: 02/09/2024
Watering the Earth - Part 5
Isaiah 55:12-13
02/09/2024
12 For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in
peace; the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing, and all the trees
of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and
it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting
sign that shall not be cut off. (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah wrote:
For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall break
forth into singing, and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall
come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up
the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
This week we have learned a lot about God's Word. It is
both His law, which shows us our need for a Savior, and the
Gospel, which shows us how Jesus Christ took upon Himself our
sin. It is the eternal proclamation that we are saved from sin,
death, and the power of the devil because of God's rich love,
grace, and mercy.
We believe, teach, and confess that the Bible is more than
just a good book, but it is the Word of God which was written for
our salvation. Saint John wrote:
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the
disciples, which are not written in this book; but
these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
may have life in his name.1
Please join us at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church to
learn more of God's love as found in Jesus Christ.
May our Lord richly bless you with His peace. Amen.
____________________
1. John 20:30-31 (ESV)Watering the Earth — Part 4: 02/08/2024
Watering the Earth - Part 4
Isaiah 55:12-13
02/08/2024
12 For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in
peace; the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing, and all the trees
of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and
it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting
sign that shall not be cut off. (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah wrote:
For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall break
forth into singing, and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall
come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up
the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
God's Word contains both law and Gospel. As we hear His
law, we are driven to see our sin, and called to repent.
Repentant sinners are shown the Gospel, that there is truly the
forgiveness of our sins for the sake of the suffering, death, and
resurrection of Jesus. Because we are declared holy, righteous,
and not guilty in God's sight, we are given the gift of eternal
life.
Therefore, even when we have troubles, we have the peace of
knowing that we are loved by God. Problems are temporary, the
gift of salvation and God's rich favor are for eternity. Our
focus shifts from this moment of pain and frustration to God's
gift of life everlasting.
Isaiah's view of heaven, his view of eternal life, gives us
comfort even when we are suffering the effects of this sinful
world. We know, because God's Word is true, that He showers us
with His love.
May your find comfort and peace knowing that God has given
you life for the sake of His Son. Amen.Watering the Earth — Part 3: 02/07/2024
Watering the Earth - Part 3
Isaiah 55:10-11
02/07/2024
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to
the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty, but it shall
accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed
in the thing for which I sent it. (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah wrote:
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and
do not return there but water the earth, making it
bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and
bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out
from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it
shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall
succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
The rain comes down and waters the earth. The crops grow,
and people are fed. Because they are fed, they have life.
The law shows us how, without God's grace, love, and
intervention, we are starved for the goodness of His blessings.
When confronted with our sin, we cry out, ``Lord, what shall we
do?'' That is the first thing that proclaiming God's Word will
do, prepare us for the good news of His mercy.
For the sinner who sees from the law he has no ability to
save himself, the good news that God has provided for our
salvation is the most precious thing we can hear. Nowhere else
can we find the assurance that God had provided for our salvation
from sin and death except in the Gospel. The message of the
Gospel is simple, Jesus is our substitute, He took upon Himself
the punishment we deserve. In so doing, He has given us His
holiness and righteousness.
What do we do to earn this forgiveness? Believe that Jesus'
death and resurrection are for you, and hold firmly to Him in all
troubles. The sinless Son of God has declared that you are
reconciled to God the Father, that you have eternal life in His
name. May our Lord grant each of us the comfort and peace that
our sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ Jesus. Amen.