Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament

See source here.

Isaiah 65:17-25 (Old Testament Reading for Easter Sunday)

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.  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.  ²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.  ²² They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy¹ the work of their hands.  ²³ They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity,¹ for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them.  ²⁴ Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.  ²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain," says the LORD.

Devotion

Pastors are often asked about what heaven will be like.  Children and adults alike are curious what we will, in fact, receive as our eternal inheritance on the Last Day.  Sometimes the questions are silly: “Will there be baseball there?”  Sometimes the questions are more serious: “Will my loved ones know me?”  Some of the questions can be answered: “Will we have bodies?” (Yes, in fact—see Phil. 3:21 & 1 Cor. 15).  And some of the questions can’t be answered: “Which version of my body will I have?”

It is good that we desire to know what heaven will be like.  For Christians, this desire flows from a trust in God’s promise to give to His people an eternal dwelling place.  And the Scriptures do give us glimpses into the new creation.  God’s Word reveals pictures of what the new heavens and the new earth will be like.  The Bible allows us a glimpse of what remains hidden today, but what will be fully realized in the resurrection.

The above passage is one of those pictures.  And like any picture, it provides some of the information, but not all of it.  You might think of it like searching for a new house.  You can read the MLS fact sheet.  You can research the home’s history.  Most sellers make numerous photographs available for you to look at.  And who would purchase a home without having it inspected?  All of these sources of information provide some detail about the house.  Each will reveal something about the home you are considering.  But until you have moved in you won’t have all your questions answered.

That’s how it is with heaven, and the promised new creation.  In Isaiah 65, our LORD gives us a glimpse of what our eternal home will be like.  It’s a picture, so it doesn’t reveal everything; but what it does reveal is wonderful.

·         We will not be troubled with memories of the current, sinful and broken world (v. 17).

·         It will be a joy, and those who inhabit it will be glad (v. 18).

·         There will be no pain and sorrow (v. 19).

·         Death will not exist.  Nobody—young or old—will ever taste its sting again (v. 20).

·         Our work will be blessed: we will have a house, and the land will produce (v. 21-22).

·         We will be one family, the Children of the LORD (v. 23).

·         We will be in perfect communion with our LORD, with perfect conversation (v. 24).

·         Those who were aggressive (the Lions) and took advantage of the weak (the Lambs) will dwell together in peace (v. 25).

In short, the paradise of our Lord’s first creation, will be restored in the new creation.  And all of it is true, we know, because the resurrected Jesus is the first of many brothers (and sisters) to receive this inheritance.  Jesus is the first-fruits of those who will also inherit this new creation.

If you desire to know what heaven will be like?  Our Lord has given us a wonderful glimpse.  And while He waits to reveal all the details, you can be sure, that what you discover when you arrive, will only continue to be more of the same: a new creation, a perfect existence, a life which will be yours with the risen Lord forever.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!

Prayer

Lord God, You who are quick to hear and answer the prayers of Your people, hasten the day when we will in enjoy the fullness of Your new creation (TLSB, p. 1197).

Rev. Gregory R. Truwe

Concordia Lutheran Church

Jackson, TN 

pastortruwe@gmail.com

Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms

Psalm 16 (The Psalm for Easter Sunday)

^{ESV 1}A MIKTAM OF DAVID.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

² I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you."

³ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.

⁴ The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or take their names on my lips.

⁵ The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

⁶ The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷ I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

⁸ I have set the LORD always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being¹ rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Devotion:

In the name of + Jesus.

With the Psalmist, we have often cried out for our Lord to preserve us (v. 1).  The Holy Spirit has taught us that God is our true Father, and that we are His true children by virtue of our Baptism into Christ, His Son.  And as the Father’s true Children, we know from whom comes all good, and we trust that we would have nothing good if it were not from Him (v. 2).  The opening cry of this Psalm, is the cry of all God’s people.  It is the cry of faith.

The saints who have trusted in the Lord serve as an excellent and encouraging example for all of us (v. 3).  With them, we delight in God’s promises, even in the midst of our cries for help.  It is not so for those whose trust is elsewhere (v. 4).  Those who run after other gods, those who pray to false idols, those who trust that some creaturely thing will provide their help, will have sorrows which multiply.  The object of their fear, love, and trust simply cannot deliver, and they remain in want.

But like a son who receives an abundant inheritance from his father, the psalmist reminds us that we are heirs of an incredible estate.  The LORD, who holds all things in His hands, is the one who also holds our lot; our inheritance is beautiful (v. 5-6).  And this promised inheritance is certain to be yours because it is the LORD himself who has promised it (v. 7).  The LORD gives His counsel, and instructs our hearts to believe that we—His children—will be given all things.  When the LORD is before us, and His promises are with us (v. 8), no matter what it is that has us crying out to the LORD, we will not be shaken.

This solid promise gladdens our hearts, and is enough to make our whole being rejoice (v.9).  Our flesh and blood dwell securely in the hands of the Father, and Jesus’ resurrection is that proof.  He appeared to be abandoned—indeed, He was abandoned, forsaken by the Father (Matt. 27:46)—but Jesus’ resurrection is proof that we will not be abandoned.  We will not see corruption (v. 10).  The empty tomb is the destination for our path of life (v. 11).  With the LORD, our joy is full, and in His presence, there are pleasures forevermore.

Some of those pleasures are ours already today.  And some of them are yet to come in the resurrection.  Until then, when we cry out for the LORD to preserve us, we will do so as the Father’s Children, and those who have the promise of an eternal inheritance.

Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!

Prayer

Lord, keep us in Your presence throughout our earthly pilgrimage, that we may come to the fullness of Your joy in heaven; through Jesus Christ, our resurrected Lord. (TLSB, p. 858).

Daily Devotional Thought--For the Family

Psalm 68:4-6

⁴Sing to God, sing praises to his name;

                Lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;

His name is the LORD;

                Exult before him!

⁵Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

                Is God in his holy habitation.

⁶God settles the solitary in a home;

                he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,

                but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

In the name of + Jesus.

From the beginning, it was not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18).  It was not good for man to be a single, solitary person.  And so, already in the beginning, the LORD made a helper fit for the first man, and together, the man and the women were the first household.  From the beginning community was a gift given by God within the family: Man, Wife, and children on the way!

All around us we have opportunities for “community.”  Social media “communities” such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the like, promise to connect you with friends, family, and more.  It should be said that, all of these platforms do provide some sort of connection with other humans; I have witnessed these media platforms being used in profound ways to love and serve the neighbor.  But…

But none of these social media platforms can replace the gift our LORD has given us in our family.  The psalmist writes, “God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity.”  In our search for connections, and community, and to be networked with others, we need to look no further than those with whom we live.  Prisoners of isolation, and those who are starved for community, have a prosperous and lively community among those whom the LORD has given right there in their own homes: spouses, parents, children, even extended family and dear friends (the psalm includes the fatherless and the widow, too!).

And all the while, our society laments the breakdown of the family.  But how many times haven’t we told our children, or our friends, to “wait just a minute,” while we craft a clever Facebook update?  What might happen in our families, and within our communities, if we would tell Facebook to “wait just a minute,” while we took our spouse out for dinner—and left the phone on silent J.

I’m not advocating that we shut ourselves off from media tools which can be used to love and serve the neighbor.  I’m just encouraging all of us, not to forget where the LORD has given us real community, even from the beginning.  And while you may be able to talk with your friends and family across the world because of a computer screen, remember, that they are there because two people were blessed to become a one-flesh family in the first place.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Amen

Prayer

Visit, O Lord, the homes in which Your people dwell, and keep all harm and danger far from them. Grant that we may dwell together in peace under the protection of Your holy angels, sharing eternally in Your blessings; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Daily Devotional Thoughts Returning

Daily Devotional Thoughts return today!  Monday through Friday, you can check here, or receive a devotional thought right in your email inbox.  On Saturday, I’ll post the Scripture readings for the following day; and on Sunday, that day’s sermon will be posted.  If you would like to receive these devotions via email, just leave your email address in a comment, or send it to me (pastortruwe@gmail.com).

"Bye Bye" Pujols, Part 2

Just thought you all should know, that not all the males in the Truwe household responded to the Pujols signing so well.  At lunch when I broke the news to (three-year-old) Micah, there were tears.  At dinner, however, he announced that his new favorite Cardinal would be Lance Berk-"man."

Pujols Goes "Bye-Bye"

Cards offered what they thought they could afford AP, who had the finest 10-year- start to a career in baseball history. I would have loved to watch AP play with the birds on the bat for another 10 years, but, I'll admit I was not comfortable with a 10-year contract at that rate. His numbers may or may not continue to decline in the next five years; he's never failed to astonish us. But, the ev...idence is overwhelmingly against AP being worth $25/year the last 5 years of a 10-year deal. He is the best baseball player I've ever watched, and Cards fans are furtunate to have had him for 10 years. I wish him well in Anaheim, and like most everyone else, am glad he won't be in the NL (Central).

But for those of you who say this decision was about greed, consider this. Money is a blessing; it is not sinful by itself. (It is the love of money that is sinful) When the Lord--who gives all good gifts--gives someone more $$, that person has an opportunity to use that $$ in service to his neighbor and to the glory of God. If you think AP made this decision based on greed alone, I would challenge you to do some reading about AP's foundation, his record of charity work, and his overall approach to serving whatever communities he has an opportunity to benefit. My guess is that he'll continue to serve his neighbor with the gifts of God, he'll just be doing it more regularly in a different community.

An Announcement from Pastor Truwe to the people of Mt. Calvary

The following is a copy of the letter I read at the conclusion of our Divine Services on Sunday, February 20th:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,


I wish to, first of all, thank all of you for your prayers on behalf me, my family, and both congregations involved in this deliberation. Additionally, those of you who have expressed words of support and encouragement through your emails, phone calls, and many other conversations, are greatly appreciated. I have taken your words to heart.

After prayerful consideration, I have decided to accept the Divine Call to serve Concordia Lutheran Church, Jackson, TN, as their pastor. I will work the next two weeks to ensure that any activities already on the calendar will be taken care of. My last Sunday will be March 6th.

It has been a tremendous honor and a privilege to serve as one of your pastors. I thank you for the opportunity to serve in your midst, and also for the love and support you have shown to me, and my family. I will always remember you in my prayers.

With love,

Pastor Gregory R. Truwe

An Announcement from Pastor Truwe

This is a copy of the announcement I made during yesterday's Divine Service:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,


On Monday, January 24th, I learned that Concordia Lutheran Church, Jackson, TN, has issued to me a Divine Call to serve as their Pastor. The documents and accompanying material have now arrived, and I am in the process of reviewing them. Just as you were led by the Holy Spirit to call me to be one of your pastors, so now the people of Concordia Lutheran Church have been led by the same Holy Spirit to extend to me this call.

I ask that you join me and Jamie in praying for a decision that will be for the good of Christ's kingdom and for the benefit of both congregations involved. If you have any questions about the call process, or wish to offer any thoughts, one way or the other, please don’t hesitate to share them with me. I hope to announce my decision on Sunday, February, 20th.

I thank you for your prayers.

God bless,

Pastor Truwe

Hannah Joy

At 1:50 p.m. on October 12th we were blessed to become the parents of a 7lb 5oz healthy baby girl.  Both she and her mother are doing well.  And now we look forward to her washing of rebirth and renewal in Holy Baptism on October 31st (Reformation Sunday).

Enjoy a few pictures!

Lent 4-C Sermon (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (The Prodigal Son)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Jesus has a gut that aches for sinners. About a year and a half ago (September 14, 2008), I preached a sermon during which I had the congregation learn a Greek word. Some of you may remember it. The word was (splanchnidzomai), and we talked about how this was a word that meant compassion. But this wasn’t just any sort of compassion. It was a compassion that produced a deep inner ache in the gut. But even more than that, splanchnidzomai is a Greek word that is only used 12 times in the New Testament, and is only used to describe the compassion of Jesus Christ himself, or, in the case of today’s text, can be used of a character in a parable that stands in the place of Jesus. So what word do we see showing up in today’s Gospel reading? Well, if you have the bulletin insert handy, take a look at verse 20. And he arose and came to his father. (he, being the younger son) But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt COMPASSION, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. So, what Greek word do you think might be used for the compassion of the father in our text? That’s right: splanchnidzomai; which means that the father in this parable is to be understood as standing for the person of Jesus Christ; that one who alone has a gut that aches for sinners.

Have you ever stumbled upon a baby bird that has fallen out of the nest before it was ready to fly? I remember having this experience as a young boy, and feeling a sort of compassion for this little tiny creature, squirming there in the tall grass, hoping that momma would swoop down and rescue it. But in most cases, that little, helpless, wounded bird, doesn’t stand a chance. In much the same way, as we confessed in this morning’s Introit, from Psalm 51, you and I are like that baby bird which has fallen out of the nest, for Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. In other words, we never stood a chance. We were doomed to sin, even before we were born, even before our mother had fed us for the first time. Which is why Jesus’ gut aches for us sinners. We are helpless in our sinful condition. And for this reason, we are all like the younger son in today’s text. We all squander our inheritance with reckless living.

Now before we make the mistake of comparing the different forms of recklessness in an effort to justify ourselves and show that we haven’t done exactly the same thing as the younger son, there is a better way to know that you and I are all like the younger son—the prodigal son. Regardless of how your sinful nature has fallen into sin, and no matter which sins you have been guilty of, all of us know that we’ve uttered the very same words as the younger son: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son—or daughter. You see, what’s important is not that you’ve had to go feed the pigs because of your poor choices, what is important is to realize that we’ve all been on our knees, begging for our Father to be merciful. And if you haven’t been there, maybe we should talk after the service.
The point is, everyone of us here today—in fact, every human being conceived after Adam and Eve ate that apple—is a Prodigal Son or Daughter, and relies on the compassion of Jesus Christ to remain a son or daughter in the kingdom God.

If we didn’t rely on this on going compassion of Jesus to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, then we could get rid of the weekly confession of sins, and we would no longer need to come to the communion rail, but we do these things because we know, that we fight against our flesh on a daily basis. We know our transgressions; our sin is ever before us (Psalm 51). And so we end up confessing to our Father, like the prodigal son, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” And in this moment, Jesus has no equal. When confession has been made, only Jesus freely forgives.

The prodigal son knows that his sinful choices have made him unworthy to be a son. And so his plan is this: to confess his sin, and then ask if his father will at least allow him to be a servant, working his way back into favor, getting at least food worthy of a man, and not a pig. The prodigal son has seen his sin, and so he approaches his father with the hopes of earning back his place, starting as a servant, and over time, working his way back. Because, you see, that’s how it works in life. You have to earn your keep.

The older brother definitely knows that it works this way. He’s been out in the field working, doing what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s not the one that went off and squandered the inheritance. He’s been serving the father these many years, never disobeying his command, and he’s never even received a goat with which to take and celebrate with his friends. It’s not fair that this foolish younger brother would receive a high feast in his honor. That’s not how life is supposed to work. You have to earn your keep, and that foolish brother of mine definitely hasn’t earned his. In fact, he’s thrown it all away.

We can understand how the older brother feels, can’t we? Because, you see, you don’t just play the part of the younger brother in this parable. At times, you and I have been guilty of the sins of the older brother as well. In fact, I would imagine that the older brother’s sins are the ones we’re most like to fall into. We are glad to be shown mercy when we acknowledge our sin before the Father, but we aren’t so quick to extend that mercy to others. Quite simply, our gut doesn’t ache like Jesus’ does—except for ourselves. We want to see something in our neighbors that gives us reason to believe that they will not continue to be foolish, that they won’t go right out again and squander away the gifts of God. We’re like the prophet Jonah, who was very pleased to have himself be rescued by the grace of God, but the wicked Ninevites, that was a different story—they hadn’t earned their place in God’s kingdom. We’re like the unmerciful servant, who was pleased to have his enormous debt cancelled before the king, but then when his debtor was on his knees begging for mercy, now he chose to operate by a different set of rules—a worldly set of rules. The older brother knew that in life, you have to earn your keep, and so do we. But the younger brother knew it to be true as well, which is why he planned to ask to be a servant—he thought he could earn his way back. Earn your keep. That’s how it works. But that’s not how Jesus works.

Jesus doesn’t wait until we can prove ourselves by a series of pious thoughts. Jesus doesn’t wait until we’ve demonstrated an ability to produce the good works worthy of a son or daughter of God. Jesus doesn’t wait until we are righteous. He can’t help himself. His gut is aching for a helpless humanity conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity. He has a quiver in his liver, an umption in his gumption for helpless sons and daughters who, like a baby bird squirming in the grass, are unable to help themselves. His gut aches for confused Christians who will on one day be kneeling down and confessing their own sins, and then on the next day have trouble seeing that someone may very well be in need of that very same mercy. Jesus simply can’t let His creation lie there helpless and unable to save ourselves.

And so, while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for the ungodly—for you and for me. Jesus died both for the younger son, and the older son. Jesus died for Jonah, and for the Ninevites. Jesus died for your sins, and he died for the sins of your friend, or your spouse, or your child, or your coworker, or the person sitting across the isle from you, who is only as helpless as you are. Woe to us, if after being shown mercy, we don’t show mercy to others.

But Jesus has a gut that aches for all sinners. And so, when that younger son is seen in the distance, the father runs to him. And before he can even ask the Father to let him earn his keep, the Father interrupts. It’s right there in verse 21 and 22. The son has planned to confess, and then ask to start earning back his place, starting as a slave. But the Father only hears his confession—that’s it. There’s no room for earning a place in the kingdom of God. For the place of a son—or daughter—cannot be earned—it is a free gift of grace.

And even when the older brother struggles to understand how the father’s grace could be given out so freely, what does the father still call him? A son: Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. You see both the younger and the older, in the end, are the Father’s sons. And both are in need of mercy.

nly Jesus has a gut that aches for sinners. The word is: splanchnidzomai Go ahead, say it with me: splanchnidzomai One more time, just for fun: splanchnidzomai Only Jesus shows mercy to those who have no hope of earning their keep. Only Jesus has a compassion that will lead him to the cross, where his gut would be pierced for our transgressions, and from it would flow a life-giving water that washes our sins away, and a blood that makes us pure. And so we pray, forgive us our trespasses, that we who have been shown mercy, might become merciful to others, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Whether you are guilty of squandering away God’s free grace, or are guilty of withholding it from others, the solution is the same: Repent, and receive the forgiveness of Jesus, a Savior whose gut aches for sinners—for that’s exactly what you have. In the name of Jesus. Amen.