Category: Turn Your Radio On 2024

August 8, 2024

Broadcast

                           Warning -- Part 4
                           Jeremiah 8:10-11
                              08/08/2024


        10   Therefore I will give their wives to others and
             their fields to conquerors, because from the least
             to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust
             gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals
             falsely.
        11   They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
             saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
             (ESV)

        A bit over two-thousand years before the birth of Jesus, God
   chose Abraham as the patriarch of His people.  Over the years,
   the children of Israel endured slavery in Egypt, were highly
   prosperous during the reign of David and Solomon, were led into
   captivity, and returned to their land.  No other ancient people
   have survived in the way of the descendants of Abraham.

        Yet God warned them of His wrath and punishment as they
   turned from serving the truth to serving idols.  He said through
   the prophet Jeremiah:
        Therefore I will give their wives to others and their
        fields to conquerors, because from the least to the
        greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from
        prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.  They have
        healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ``Peace,
        peace,'' when there is no peace.


        In the past fifty years, this nation has turned from God and
   began worshiping that which, in the end, has no value.  We no
   longer seek the answers to the question, ``Why am I here?''
   because we are taught that, as we evolved from some primordial
   goo, there is no purpose.  We have, as a nation, rejected the
   truth of God's Word.

        God, in His mercy, gave the children of Israel a warning, a
   chance to return to Him, to acknowledge His rich blessings.  He
   gives us that same warning, even as we see tensions in the Middle
   East, Asia, and throughout the world.

        As God longed to be gracious to His chosen people, He longs
   to be gracious to you.  He sent Jesus to redeem you from sin and
   death, and offers that gift of eternal life to you for Christ's
   sake.  There is meaning in life, for God created us in His image,
   and has restored us by His love.  May our Lord grant us the
   wisdom to seek Him, to see His mercy as our Creator.  Amen.

August 7, 2024

Broadcast

                           Warning -- Part 3
                            Jeremiah 8:8-9
                              08/07/2024


        8    How can you say, We are wise, and the law of the
             LORD is with us?  But behold, the lying pen of the
             scribes has made it into a lie.
        9    The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be
             dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the
             word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?
             (ESV)

        Our money has the motto, ``In God we trust,'' and we pledge
   allegiance to the flag, saying, ``One nation under God.''  Our
   founding fathers saw this nation as Christian, as the Supreme
   Court declared in 1892, and reaffirmed in several subsequent
   decisions.[2] This does not mean that Christianity is the
   official religion, but this nation was built on the morality of
   the Ten Commandments, and recognized that we are called to serve
   one another.

        Yet Jeremiah's words to the nation of Judah and those living
   in Jerusalem strike an interesting chord.
        How can you say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD
        is with us?  But behold, the lying pen of the scribes
        has made it into a lie.  The wise men shall be put to
        shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they
        have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is
        in them?


        Are we making the same mistakes which caused the downfall of
   Judah as they were led into captivity for seventy years?  We pray
   for this nation, that we truly become wise by acknowledging God's
   rich grace and favor.  This we do by repenting of our sins, by
   admitting that by ourselves we cannot do that which is right and
   proper.  Then, we hold firmly to the truth of God's love, that He
   sent Jesus Christ to live, die, and rise again for our salvation.
   As individuals, our holding to the truth of God's Word helps our
   neighbors, and our nation.

        May our Lord grant us faith in Him, that we know of His
   bountiful mercy.  Amen.
   ____________________

   2. See:  Brewer,  D.  J.  (1905).  The United States: A Christian
      Nation.  Available on Kindle.

August 6, 2024

Broadcast

                           Warning -- Part 2
                             Jeremiah 8:7
                              08/06/2024


        7    Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and
             the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time
             of their coming, but my people know not the rules
             of the LORD.  (ESV)

        The modern United States is much like ancient Judah and
   Jerusalem in the years before the Jews were carried into
   captivity.  Each person looked to everything but the truth of
   God's Word for wisdom and strength.  Judah looked to idols, the
   United States looks to human reason and science, even though
   neither has lasting power.

        God, speaking through Jeremiah, said:
        Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the
        turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their
        coming, but my people know not the rules of the LORD.


        The percentage of people who claim no religion climbed from
   five percent in the early 1970s to almost thirty percent
   today.[1] They look to their own desires, their own definition of
   right and wrong, fueled by the idea that we are meaningless blobs
   formed by chance and without purpose.  Is it a wonder that you
   can hardly watch the news?

        Yet, God our heavenly Father sent His Son to pay the price
   of our sin, to redeem us from our selfishness, and to turn our
   hearts to the good of our neighbor.  The birds of the air know
   their Creator, even while the pinnacle of creation denies that we
   are created in God's image to serve Him by acknowledging Him and
   by serving each other in love.

        May our Lord grant that we know Him and accept His bountiful
   love for our eternal blessing.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/how-u-s-
      religious-composition-has-changed-in-recent-decades/

August 5, 2024

Broadcast

                           Warning -- Part 1
                            Jeremiah 8:4-6
                              08/05/2024


        4    You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When
             men fall, do they not rise again?  If one turns
             away, does he not return?
        5    Why then has this people turned away in perpetual
             backsliding?  They hold fast to deceit; they
             refuse to return.
        6    I have paid attention and listened, but they have
             not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil,
             saying, What have I done?  Everyone turns to his
             own course, like a horse plunging headlong into
             battle.  (ESV)

        There are surprising parallels between the Old Testament
   nation of Judah and the United States.  Before Judah spent
   seventy years in Babylonian captivity, the prophet Jeremiah was
   sent by God to warn the people of the consequence of their
   rejection of the truth.  God commanded Jeremiah:
        You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men
        fall, do they not rise again?  If one turns away, does
        he not return?  Why then has this people turned away in
        perpetual backsliding?  They hold fast to deceit; they
        refuse to return.  I have paid attention and listened,
        but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his
        evil, saying, What have I done?  Everyone turns to his
        own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.


        This warning is for all people who reject the Word of God.
   We daily see the result of the decrease in religion as there is
   more violence, including an assassination attempt on a
   presidential candidate, rise in LGBTQ affiliations, an increase
   in out of marriage births, and millions of children murdered in
   the womb.  Yet, as a nation, we do not repent and turn to God but
   turn away from Him.

        How long can we last as a nation as we deny that which not
   only brings the comfort of the forgiveness of our sins, but
   teaches us to love our neighbors?  May our Lord grant that we
   turn from the lies of the devil, the world, and our own sinful
   flesh and cling to Christ Jesus as our Redeemer from sin and
   death.  Amen.

August 2, 2024

Broadcast

                    Go and Make Disciples -- Part 5
                           Matthew 28:18-20
                              08/02/2024


        18   And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority
             in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
        19   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,
        20   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
             you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end
             of the age.''  (ESV)

        This Sunday we are privileged at Trinity to hear Reverend
   Mark Moss of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation speak of their work
   to bring Lutheran materials to all people in all languages.  This
   is to help the Church fulfill Christ's Great Commission.
        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.''


        The Church is to be active in going out into the world to
   make disciples.  We believe, teach, and confess that the Church
   is the people of God who are saved by grace alone, gathered
   together around God's Word and Sacraments so to receive from Him
   eternal life.  Jesus Christ commissioned the Church to proclaim
   the Gospel, to administer the Sacraments, and to bring hope to
   this sinful world.  The Church is not a group of people who make
   demands for perfect obedience, but is a group of people redeemed
   from condemnation by the blood of Jesus Christ.

        Come join us at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday morning at
   9:00 a.m. to hear about the mission work of the Church which is
   enabled by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.  The Great
   Commission to go into the world to bring the joy of salvation is
   not only to foreign lands, but to everyone in Slayton, Murray
   County, and Minnesota.

        May our Lord grant that you hear of His love and receive the
   gift of forgiveness and life everlasting.  Amen.

August 1, 2024

Broadcast

                    Go and Make Disciples -- Part 4
                           Matthew 28:18-20
                              08/01/2024


        18   And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority
             in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
        19   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,
        20   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
             you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end
             of the age.''  (ESV)

        We are studying the Great Commission this week as Trinity
   Lutheran Church prepares to hear Reverend Mark Moss speak of the
   Lutheran Heritage Foundation, a group dedicated to translating
   and providing materials to Lutherans throughout the world.
        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.''


        The Church makes disciples through baptism.  As the water
   and Word are applied, the Holy Spirit creates the faith which
   holds firmly to God's promises.  What are God's promises?  That
   is what Jesus taught.  Jesus taught of God's grace and love,
   given to His creation without our works.  Jesus taught of the
   hope we have of everlasting life, and sealed that hope with His
   resurrection from the dead.  Jesus taught the Word of God, for He
   is the Word Incarnate.

        The Church, therefore, seeks to teach the Word of God, to
   bring hope and comfort to all people.  All the writings of the
   Church, the creeds and confessions, the teachings and doctrine,
   must conform to the Word of God according to Christ's commission.

        May our Lord keep us steadfast in His Word, that we may
   teach His people the truth of His grace and mercy.  Amen.

July 31, 2024

Broadcast

                    Go and Make Disciples -- Part 3
                           Matthew 28:18-20
                              07/31/2024


        18   And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority
             in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
        19   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,
        20   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
             you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end
             of the age.''  (ESV)

        Reverend Mark Moss of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation will
   be at Trinity on Sunday, August 4, speaking of the mission of the
   Church and the need to translate various books into other
   languages as the Church fulfills the Great Commission.
        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.''


        While the Church is going, sent by the authority of Jesus
   Christ, what are they to accomplish?  They are to make disciples,
   they are to bring sinners into the Church to receive the comfort
   of the forgiveness of sins earned by Jesus on the cross.  The
   Holy Spirit works through the proclaimed Word of God joined with
   the water of baptism to create the faith which accepts God's
   promise of heaven.  Saint Peter wrote, ``Baptism now saves
   you,''[2] We are buried with Christ Jesus through baptism, and
   rise with Christ Jesus through baptism, and our sins are washed
   away through baptism, and we are marked as God's own child
   through baptism.  Baptism is God's work to join sinners to
   Himself, to make them holy, and to give them the gift of eternal
   life.

        May our Lord, who instituted baptism as the means of making
   disciples, give us the faith to accept the full blessings of His
   love.  Amen.
   ____________________

   2. 1 Peter 3:21

July 30, 2024

Broadcast

                    Go and Make Disciples -- Part 2
                           Matthew 28:18-20
                              07/30/2024


        18   And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority
             in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
        19   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,
        20   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
             you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end
             of the age.''  (ESV)

        On Sunday, August 4, Trinity is hosting Reverend Mark Moss
   of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation, an organization which
   provides translation of materials to Lutheran Church bodies
   throughout the world.  In honor of this occasion, we are studying
   the Great Commission where Jesus sent His disciples to spread the
   Gospel.
        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.''


        Jesus, who is the King of Creation, tells His Church to go
   into the world.  What does this mean?  We are not to hide behind
   closed doors seeking to remove ourselves from the problems of
   society.  The good news of salvation from sin and eternal death
   earned for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus is the news
   that this sin-sickened world clearly needs to hear.  Even the
   renowned atheist, Richard Dawkins, recognizes the importance of
   Christ in this sin-sickened world.[1]

        Our first aim as the Church is to go into the world with the
   good news that Jesus Christ has defeated sin, death, and the
   power of the devil.  We are to go into this town, this county,
   this state as individuals and as a congregation to tell of the
   hope we have because of God's love.  Sitting in the pew is not an
   option.  May our Lord grant that we may clearly tell of His grace
   to all people, bringing them the comfort of the Gospel.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. https://americanreformer.org/2024/04/richard-dawkins-cultural-
      christianity/

July 29, 2024

Broadcast

                    Go and Make Disciples -- Part 1
                           Matthew 28:18-20
                              07/29/2024


        18   And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority
             in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
        19   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,
        20   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
             you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end
             of the age.''  (ESV)

        This coming Sunday, August 4, Trinity Lutheran Church has
   the honor of hearing the Reverend Mark Moss, a representative of
   the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.  This organization translates
   and prints materials for Lutheran Churches throughout the world.
   To help us prepare we are going to look at the Great Commission
   where Jesus sent His disciples out into the world to proclaim the
   good news of salvation by grace through faith for the sake of
   Christ.

        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.''


        Jesus, by being born, dying, and rising again from the dead,
   by living without sin, and by His miracles, showed that He truly
   is the promised Messiah, the Son of God through whom all things
   were made.  In the days following His resurrection, He clearly
   showed Himself to His disciples, and even to 500 other witnesses,
   as spoken of by Saint Paul.

        As the Son of God, as the One who crushed Satan's head,
   Jesus has all authority over creation.  He has the right to send
   His representatives into the world to proclaim the good news that
   sin and death are defeated, although the war between God and
   Satan will continue for a while.  This week we will examine what
   the commission given to the disciples means for the Church and to
   each individual Christian.

        May our Lord grant that you hear of His love, grace, and
   mercy, and know that Jesus Christ is Lord of creation.  Amen.

July 26, 2024

Broadcast

                  Beware of False Prophets -- Part 5
                           Jeremiah 23:19-20
                              07/26/2024


        19   Behold, the storm of the LORD!  Wrath has gone
             forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the
             head of the wicked.
        20   The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he
             has executed and accomplished the intents of his
             heart.  In the latter days you will understand it
             clearly.  (ESV)

        Jeremiah warned those living in Jerusalem and the land of
   Judah:
        Behold, the storm of the LORD!  Wrath has gone forth, a
        whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the
        wicked.  The anger of the LORD will not turn back until
        he has executed and accomplished the intents of his
        heart.  In the latter days you will understand it
        clearly.


        The intent of God's heart, however, is not the eternal death
   of the wicked, but that all people turn from their sin, repent,
   and trust in Him alone.  From the earliest pages of Genesis to
   the end of the New Testament, the message of hope is the same.
   Trust in God and not our own understanding.

        Yet, God's wrath truly has been revealed.  As Jesus was on
   the cross, the entire wrath of God, the eternal punishment for
   our sin, was laid on Him.  Our Savior was forsaken by His Father
   for our redemption from sin and death.

        This is the true message of the Gospel, the true message you
   will hear each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church.
   You are redeemed from sin, death, and the power of the devil
   because God loved you so much as to send His only-begotten Son to
   bear your sin and give you His righteousness.

        May our Lord comfort you with the truth of His Word that, in
   the end, you may have eternal life in Him.  Amen.