I Will Be Your God - Part 5
Ezekiel 36:28
05/17/2024
28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your
fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be
your God. (ESV)
We celebrated Jesus ascending into heaven eight days ago.
Saint Luke recorded:
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up
his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he
parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And
they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great
joy, and were continually in the temple blessing
God.[3]
Jesus Christ is present with His Church through His Word and
Sacraments. We believe, teach, and confess that He is at the
right hand of the omnipresent Father, thus He is also with us
physically, though we cannot see Him. Finally, our Lord and
Savior is with His Church through the holy office He bestowed
when He sent His disciples to spread the good news of salvation
by grace through faith for the sake of His suffering, death, and
resurrection to all the earth.
This is to fulfill the promise given through Ezekiel the
prophet:
You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your
fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your
God.
Today, the Church on earth is in God's presence. He calls
us to be His people, and has promised that we will have
everlasting life in His holy mansions. The land in which we will
dwell eternally is like the Garden into which our Creator placed
the first man and woman.
While on earth, we have the opportunity to join with angels,
archangels, and all the company of heaven as we gather to hear of
God's rich love and mercy, that Jesus died and rose again for
your redemption. Please come to Trinity Lutheran Church on
Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. to hear this marvelous news. May our
Lord grant you the peace of knowing your sins are forgiven for
Jesus' sake. Amen.
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3. Luke 24:50-53 (ESV)Category: Turn Your Radio On 2024
Daily Moments of Meditation devotions as heard each weekday on KJOE FM 106.1 in Slayton.
I Will Be Your God — Part 4: May 16, 2024
I Will Be Your God - Part 4
Ezekiel 36:26-27
05/16/2024
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit
I will put within you. And I will remove the
heart of stone from your flesh and give you a
heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my
rules. (ESV)
During forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, He taught
His disciples:
And he said to them, ``Go into all the world and
proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned.
What is the Gospel which Jesus entrusted to the Apostles?
Nothing more than what Ezekiel wrote centuries before the birth
of Jesus:
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I
will put within you. And I will remove the heart of
stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to
walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
The result of the faith which the Holy Spirit gives through
the Word and Sacraments are a complete change in our lives for
the better. Because of God's love, of His redeeming us from sin
and eternal death, our perspective changes. No longer are we
content to focus on our wants and desires, coldly ignoring the
need of our neighbor. Rather, we desire to love our neighbor as
ourselves, helping them in every way possible, especially
inviting them to know the peace which we have from being marked
as God's children.
Ezekiel shows us that the new heart, the new spirit, and the
desire to walk in God's ways are not because of our own work or
desire. The new heart, the new spirit, the new love we reflect
are a gift, given because of His love and mercy.
May our Lord grant that we come to know of His grace, first
poured out on His people at the beginning of creation, and shown
to us by Jesus Christ. Amen.
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2. Mark 16:15-16 (ESV)I Will Be Your God — Part 3: May 15, 2024
I Will Be Your God - Part 3
Ezekiel 36:24-25
05/15/2024
24 I will take you from the nations and gather you
from all the countries and bring you into your own
land.
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall
be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all
your idols I will cleanse you. (ESV)
For forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, He taught His
disciples:
And [He] said to them, ``Thus it is written, that the
Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the
dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins
should be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these
things.[2]
His words showed how God fulfilled the promise made through
the prophet Ezekiel.
I will take you from the nations and gather you from
all the countries and bring you into your own land. I
will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be
clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your
idols I will cleanse you.
The promise was fulfilled first as the children of Israel
were restored to Jerusalem and Judea following the Babylonian
Captivity. More so, it is fulfilled in the Church as the Holy
Spirit, through the Gospel and Sacraments, calls us from the
darkness of sin into the light of God's love and grace.
How does the Holy Spirit create the faith which acknowledges
and trusts the Word of God? We believe, teach, and confess that
the water of Baptism, combined with the promise of Jesus Christ,
marks us as God's own children, buries our sinful nature with
Jesus in His tomb, and bursts forth as the resurrected child of
the almighty.
May our Lord grant that we hold firmly to the promise of
life and forgiveness given to us through the water and the word.
Amen.
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2. Luke 24:46-48 (ESV)I Will Be Your God — Part 2: May 14, 2024
I Will Be Your God - Part 2
Ezekiel 36:23
05/14/2024
23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great
name, which has been profaned among the nations,
and which you have profaned among them. And the
nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the
Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness
before their eyes. (ESV)
As Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His Apostles:
He said to them, ``It is not for you to know times or
seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end
of the earth.''[1]
His instructions reinforced the words of Ezekiel the
prophet:
And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name,
which has been profaned among the nations, and which
you have profaned among them. And the nations will
know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when
through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
The Church tells of God's holiness, how He created us
because of His great love. Even when we rejected Him, He
promised to redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the
devil. Because we are sinful from birth, this meant that our
heavenly Father had to send His only-begotten Son to bear the
guilt and punishment of our sin. For the sake of Jesus, the Son
of God, His perfect obedience to the Father, His innocent
suffering and death, and His glorious resurrection, we are
declared holy and righteous in God's sight.
Through Jesus, whose name means ``The LORD is our
salvation,'' we see the fullness of God's love and grace. This
grace, this undeserved love, this mercy, compels God to offer to
us the complete forgiveness of our sins.
May our Lord grant that we know that He is the Almighty God
who has created us, redeemed us from sin and death, and made us
holy. Amen.
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1. Acts 1:7-8 (ESV)I Will Be Your God — Part 1: May 13, 2024
I Will Be Your God - Part 1
Ezekiel 36:22
05/13/2024
22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says
the Lord GOD: ''It is not for your sake, O house
of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the
sake of my holy name, which you have profaned
among the nations to which you came.'' (ESV)
Last Thursday the Church celebrated Jesus' ascension into
heaven where He is at the right hand of God our heavenly Father.
Before Jesus ascended, He gave His disciples clear instructions.
And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have
commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age.''[1]
Since that day, the Church has been built on Jesus Christ,
His Words, and the Sacraments which He instituted to create and
sustain our faith, and to bring us the forgiveness of our sins.
This week's Old Testament lesson from the prophet Ezekiel speaks
of God, for own Name's sake, cleansing His people from their
sins.
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the
Lord GOD: ''It is not for your sake, O house of Israel,
that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy
name, which you have profaned among the nations to
which you came.''
God's name includes everything He has revealed about
Himself. He is from everlasting to everlasting, almighty, all
knowing, and all powerful. This is why we pray, ``Hallowed by
Thy name,'' because we desire that all people know the truth
about our gracious God. His actions reflect His character, which
we acknowledge in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
May our Lord richly bless you with the comfort that comes
from knowing His holy name. Amen.
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1. Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)Lifting Up the Serpent — Part 5: May 10, 2024
Lifting Up the Serpent - Part 5
Numbers 21:8-9
05/11/2024
8 And the LORD said to Moses, ``Make a fiery serpent
and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten,
when he sees it, shall live.''
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a
pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look
at the bronze serpent and live. (ESV)
The children of Israel had sinned against God and Moses by
faithless grumbling about God's rich gifts of food and
protection. When confronted with their sin, they repented.
And the LORD said to Moses, ``Make a fiery serpent and
set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he
sees it, shall live.'' So Moses made a bronze serpent
and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he
would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Jesus told Nicodemus:
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever
believes in him may have eternal life.[2]
Like the children of Israel, we have sinned against God and
neighbor. We deserve God's eternal wrath and punishment. Yet,
in the same way the children of Israel looked in faith at the
bronze serpent, we look in faith to Jesus Christ, who was lifted
on the cross for our salvation from sin and death.
Faith is knowledge of God's love and grace, even though we
do not deserve His mercy. Faith is agreement that the Word of
God is true, that Jesus was crucified to pay the price of our
sin. Faith is trust that Jesus truly bore our sins and
reconciled us to the Father.
Please join us on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity
Lutheran Church to learn more of God's rich grace and mercy. May
our Lord bless you with faith that looks to Jesus Christ alone.
Amen.
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2. John 3:14-15 (ESV)Lifting Up the Serpent — Part 4: May 9, 2024
Lifting Up the Serpent - Part 4
Numbers 21:8-9
05/09/2024
8 And the LORD said to Moses, ``Make a fiery serpent
and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten,
when he sees it, shall live.''
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a
pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look
at the bronze serpent and live. (ESV)
The children of Israel had grumbled about the food and the
problems of their nomadic life. Because they did not trust God,
they were plagued by many venomous serpents. Finally, they
repented and called upon Moses to intercede for them.
Moses prayed, and God gave him explicit instructions.
And the LORD said to Moses, ``Make a fiery serpent and
set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he
sees it, shall live.'' So Moses made a bronze serpent
and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he
would look at the bronze serpent and live.
God's instructions to Moses were clear. When the people
bitten by the snakes looked at the bronze serpent on the pole,
they believed God's promise that they would not die. They
trusted that this unusual way of dealing with a snake bite would
remove the pain and death caused by the venom. Looking at the
bronze serpent required faith in God's Word and promise. The
very promises that the children of Israel had rejected earlier
were again made by God, with the visible proof that His Word is
true. There was no power in the bronze serpent, the power was in
God's promise of life and redemption.
This becomes a promise for all people, when God speaks in
His Holy Word, we can believe and trust in Him. When God says,
``Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,''[1] we
know that our only hope for redemption from sin, death, and the
power of the devil is through the Son of God. May our Lord grant
us faith to believe in Jesus as our Savior. Amen.
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1. Acts 15:11Lifting Up the Serpent — Part 3: May 8, 2024
Lifting Up the Serpent - Part 3
Numbers 21:7
05/08/2024
7 And the people came to Moses and said, ``We have
sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and
against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away
the serpents from us.'' So Moses prayed for the
people. (ESV)
Discipline and punishment may look the same to the one being
trained. Were the serpents sent by God a punishment as the
children of Israel grumbled against Him, or were they a call to
trust in Him at all times? In the liturgy for God's help in time
of a local or national tragedy, the readings are as much a call
for repentance as they are for God to ease the burden of all
people.
It is fitting, as we know that we have sinned against God
and neighbor, that times of personal and national distress are
also a call to trust in God rather than our own abilities.
And the people came to Moses and said, ``We have
sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against
you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents
from us.'' So Moses prayed for the people.
If the serpents were a punishment, then God's actions had
the desired result, show the people their sin. If the serpents
were a form of discipline, a form of teaching, they also had the
proper effect, trust in God and His goodness rather than trusting
our own desires. Look to the blessings God gives, knowing that
He willingly gives us that which we need to sustain this body and
life.
No matter if the serpents were punishment or discipline, the
result was the people calling on God, praying for forgiveness and
His almighty help in time of need.
May our Lord give to us the eyes of faith to trust in Him,
to call upon Him in the day of trouble, and to believe that He
desires to give us His eternal love and grace. Amen.Lifting Up the Serpent — Part 2: May 7, 2024
Lifting Up the Serpent - Part 2
Numbers 21:6
05/07/2024
6 Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the
people, and they bit the people, so that many
people of Israel died. (ESV)
The children of Israel were tired of their nomadic life in
the wilderness. When their travels took them once again away
from the land once promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they
began to grumble and complain about God and Moses. ``Then the
LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the
people, so that many people of Israel died.''
How does God call us to account for our sins? In this case,
the children of Israel saw a direct link between their discontent
and the venomous snakes. More often, however, the call to
repentance is not as readily apparent. Yes, when tragedy
strikes, we are swift to call upon the name of the Lord, to
implore the help and mercy of the almighty God. But even in
normal times, the law accuses us of sin.
Throughout the Bible we learn that we are to love the Lord
our God above all things, and our neighbors as ourselves. This
was written by Moses, and spoken again by Jesus, Himself. Yet we
turn our back on God, and we ignore the needs of our neighbors as
we focus on our own selfish desires.
That wake up call to repent may come in the form of a
personal tragedy, or through the proclamation of God's Word. No
matter, we confess that we deserve God's temporal and eternal
punishment, for we have sinned against God and neighbor by our
thoughts, words, and deeds. Jesus, in talking with Nicodemus as
recorded in the third chapter of John's Gospel, compares the
salvation of the world to the forgiveness offered to the children
of Israel as they endured the serpents. May our hearts ever be
turned to the love of God, that we repent of our sin and receive
the gift of forgiveness. Amen.Lifting Up the Serpent — Part 1: May 6, 2024
Lifting Up the Serpent - Part 1
Numbers 21:4-5
05/06/2024
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red
Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people
became impatient on the way.
5 And the people spoke against God and against
Moses, ``Why have you brought us up out of Egypt
to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and
no water, and we loathe this worthless food.''
(ESV)
The story of the Exodus, of the children of Israel leaving
Egypt and wandering in the wilderness for forty years, is the
story of sin, repentance, restoration and service. Time and
again, they grumbled against God, received the punishment due for
their unbelief, repented, and returned to trusting in God to
sustain and deliver them.
Near the end of their forty year trek, when the children of
Israel turned once again from the promised land towards the
wilderness, they began to grumble against God and Moses. They
were tired of the miraculous manna which God provided, and
desired something different.
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea,
to go around the land of Edom. And the people became
impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God
and against Moses, ``Why have you brought us up out of
Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food
and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.''
God eventually disciplined the children of Israel for their
unbelief and their unfaithfulness. More importantly, this event
during the wilderness years pointed directly to the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ for the sins of all people. This week we will look
at the sin, discipline, and forgiveness given by God even to
those who lack trust in His promises.
May our Lord grant you the peace of knowing His love. Amen.