Greetings in the name of our Lord who put us before Himself. I am sorry it took me a couple days to get my sermon on here, life is just a busy thing. I am doing very well and survived the craziness of last week. I have a little breathing room before the craziness starts over again. Every one at field work really enjoyed my sermon. I wish I had a recording of it, because some of the phrases that I used in actually preaching the sermon were not the same as the manuscript and I really liked the way it came out. Then of course by the time I go back to the manuscript, I can't remember those differences. This is my constant reminder that the Holy Spirit is giving me the words and meditations of my sermons because when I get going on them, they just really come together nicely. I really do enjoy the amazing opportunity to preach and am so thankful the Good Lord has given me the strength and growth that He has in that area.
I had my first placement meeting this morning with the Placement Counselor. It was really good to just sit and talk to him about what type of ministry, what type of setting, and what type of congregation I think would be the best fit for me. He is such a great guy to just comfortably talk to and it really does help calm some nerves and anxiousness. Next week I have my interview with the Placement Director and that will be more giving him a chance to really know who I am, my strengths and weaknesses and specialties. I am looking forward to that too. I need to start my SET form one of these days. I can't believe this process is even started already let alone going to be coming to a completion in eight months.
I had coffee with Dr. Saleska today discussing the Psalms. As you all know by know, I have an extreme love with the Psalms. He is currently writing the commentary on Psalms 1-50 so it was really fun to pick his brain on how he is going about it. He appreciated my passion and encouraged me to keep going with my devotions and study of them. We plan to get together every once in a while and just keep discussing our shared love.
Well I need to go to work so here is my sermon from this last Sunday. Hopefully you will understand my challenge to you last week now after reading this sermon. I hope to write more this week and am definitely motivated to keep working through more psalms with devotions. Blessings in Christ.
Our text for this morning is from Philippians 2, verses 1-4
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
How many of you have heard of the Epicureans? In college, I took a class on philosophy and in this class I learned about several different schools of philosophy and their different world views. One of these schools of philosophy is the Epicureans. The Epicureans entire goal is to live in a state of pure happiness. This seems impossible when you first hear about it, I mean how can someone live in a state of pure happiness all the time? However, they had a unique way of reaching that state in their lives. They strive to always be happy by lowering their standards of their expectations to match their current experience. They believed if you are not happy with something in your life, it is because you think you deserve better than what you are experiencing. If you are unhappy with your job, it is because you think you deserve a better job than the job you actually have. They even take it as far as to say that pain should not cause you unhappiness. Pain is you simply thinking you should feel better than you actually do, therefore if you just accept that you should feel the way you do, not think you should feel better, and you can be happy with your actually experience even in times of pain. This is how they go about trying to live in a state of pure happiness.
At first, when I heard about this I really liked the idea. I mean I obviously know someone can’t be happy all the time, but it doesn’t mean we can’t try to happy as often as possible. I wake up every day trying to be as happy and positive as possible. I even liked the idea of lowering your standards to make yourself happy. However, the more I thought about this, the more I realized there is one major flaw with the Epicurean view. Do you know what it is? (Pause) The major flaw is that it is entirely focused on yourself in order to be happy. Their whole worldview is only focused on themselves in order to be happy. They take no one else into consideration, they are so focused on their own happiness, they turn all of their attention to themselves.
When we look at our text for today, Paul is also talking about being happy, being glad. However, he takes a little different approach to reaching this gladness. In verse 1 Paul says, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Then immediately he follows up with verses 3 and 4, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Here Paul is inviting the Philippians to join in his joy by thinking of others. By counting all others as more important than yourself, this is how Paul invites them to be happy, to complete his joy.
However, in our American culture we tend to lean more towards the Epicurean way that Paul’s way, don’t we? It is easier to think of ourselves and our own interests than to think of other people’s interest first. We get so wrapped up in ourselves that we forget to think about others. And I don’t believe it is even that we intentionally focus on ourselves first, it is just our natural habit, our natural sinful habit. We think we since it is our happiness, it must be our interests that we need to attend to. We all are guilty of putting ourselves first. We forget about around us, in order to make sure we are happy, that everything is OK with us. Even worse we blame those around us when things aren’t going our way. We find others to fault for our bad days, for our frustration. Road rage happens because we blame everyone else for going to slow or being a horrible driver, when really it us who is speeding or switching lanes. We get angry with coworkers or bosses at a bad day at work because if they would just do their job better or more efficiently than we would have to do less work, when really we are just being lazy and don’t want to have to actually do the work to get things done. When we are upset with spouses or siblings or family members, we talk about their bad habits or selfishness behind their backs, when really most likely we are the ones who are just being stubborn and unwilling to compromise. When we are angry, upset, frustrated, mad, stressed, irritable, or offended, I think it is safe to say 99% of the time it is because we are only focusing on our own interests. We are thinking about nobody besides ourselves, and we let that selfishness, pride, laziness, or arrogance lead us to not have joy or happiness in our lives.
So again we go back to Paul’s letter and see how he reminds us to be partakers of his joy by putting others before ourselves. And then I love the example he uses as the main point of his argument in verses 5 to 11. These are probably the most familiar verses from this passage, and while we remember these verses, I think we too often forget the point Paul is trying to make with them. In verses 5 to 11 we hear Paul say, “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” If there was ever anyone who had the right to put himself ahead of everyone else, it would have been Jesus. The true Son of God, equal to God who is control of all things, did not consider this equality with God as His right to come and be served by all of us mere humans, but rather he emptied Himself to come be our servant in the flesh of mankind. He did not consider himself as the Son of God as more important than us sinners, but rather lowered Himself down to our likeness to put us first. He was willing to put our interest first ahead of His own to the point He was willing to die, even die on a cross, a painful, gruesome, horrible death, so that you and I may have life. He put us ahead of Himself and this is the example Paul is using to remind us to put others before ourselves. Look to Christ, our Savior who took away all our sins, who continues to forgive us even as we continue to live in selfishness, pridefulness, and arrogance. He died to take all of these sins away from us so that we have salvation and life in His name. He did this for us because He counted all of us as more important than Himself.
Paul reminds us of this amazing Lord who we have who was willing to do this for us, and then reminds us that we who are saved in the name of our Lord, being baptized, holy, chosen children of God, we too are to live this life of putting others ahead of ourselves. We to can share the love of Christ with others by living the servant life He came to live for us. And again in our final verses for today Paul reiterates his point by saying, “14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” Be the light of the world that shines the love of Christ, be the blameless children of God in the midst of the crooked and twisted generation we most certainly live in. Strive to live each day in this happiness, this gladness that Paul is talking about by putting everyone around you as more important than yourself. Do all things without grumbling because you know through all you do you are serving others just as Christ served those around Him. Can you imagine how happy a place the world would be if everyone followed these words of Paul, doing nothing out of selfishness or conceit, doing all things without grumbling or disputing, but rather in humility counted everyone else as more important, serving their interests rather than your own. The Good news is that through the love of Christ that has been made known to us through the power of the Holy Spirit who called us into the faith, we can live these words and strive to make the world a better place. We can join in Paul’s gladness and rejoice with him. We can be glad and rejoice that we know Jesus Christ is our Savior who did consider us more important than Himself, willing to die for us so that we may be forgiven of all our sins, having salvation and eternal life in His name so that one day when He comes back we may bow and confess He is our Lord. We can be glad and rejoice that we, who have been saved and given this life in His name through the Holy Spirit, we can live this life of serving others.
So I have a challenge for you for this week and the weeks to come. Any time you find yourself angry, frustrated, upset, offended, or irritated, STOP! Stop because I guarantee you are forgetting at least two people. The first person you are forgetting is Christ who served you, kept you as more important than Himself. The second person or group of people is that person who you are not putting ahead of yourself. Once you have realized who you have forgotten, say a prayer asking for forgiveness of your sin and give thanks that you are forgiven of that sin knowing that in Christ you are forgiven. And then make the proper change or adjustment to put that person you were forgetting as more important than yourself. Do what you need to do to serve that person, and do it in the gladness and rejoicing of Paul. See every opportunity God gives you to serve those around you as an opportunity to rejoice over, because each one of these times is truly a time of gladness. It is a time of gladness because we know in Christ’s service to us we have our salvation and eternal life, and now have the opportunity to serve others and live that life of service being the light of the world. In Christ, in the service of life you have been called into, be glad and rejoice!
In the name of Christ our Lord, Amen.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Challenge Accepted!
Greetings to you in the name of God our Father, Jesus the Lord, and the Holy Spirit, three in One of the true Triune God. I am going to be extremely busy this week as I have three papers due, one test, and a sermon for this coming Sunday. On top of that, we are swamped at work and I could work thirty hours easy this week if they would let me. However, stressful weeks like these seem to be an ever present reality in my life, and everything always manages to get done. Some times I myself am not even sure how it gets done, but it all gets done. Besides, who needs sleep anyway?
So I wanted to write and let you know that I will have limited posts on here this week, but will still try to sneak a couple up with any free time I have. I also want to put up some things from class if I ever get the time because we are covering some really neat things in my classes. I am preaching on Philippians 2 this coming Sunday and am very excited about it. It is a sermon I desperately need to hear myself and hopefully will hit home with the congregation as well. So since I do not have the time tonight to post something theological on here, I have a challenge for you instead. First, try to think of something in your life that has been a constant (repetitive) negative thing in your life. Anything at all that seems to keep popping up and ruining your day again and again. Even if it something small that may only ruin a small part of your day. Something that annoys you, or gets under your skin, or just frustrates you. Maybe it's the drive to work every day as you get road rage, maybe it's something your spouse or child continues to do over and over even though you have asked them again and again not to do that. Anything at all that you find yourself frustrated with, angry at, annoyed by, or just upset with. Have that one thing in mind? Ok, here is the challenge, find a Bible verse or verses that either directly refer to this thing or the concept of the verses deal with the issue at hand. Memorize that verse and then every time in the next couple days that that same old thing happens again and you find yourself mad, upset, or frustrated, repeat that verse or those verses either to yourself silently or even out loud. Use the Word of God to be a constant reminder that this little thing that seems to be a pain in your life is really nothing at all in the grand scheme of things. Use this verse or these verses to remind yourself to look for the positive part of every day and keep you in a good mood more often. This may sound strange, but I am challenging you to this because it will hopefully help make my point in my sermon this Sunday that much stronger.
Blessings on the Challenge!
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Psalm 11
Greetings in the name Christ, the one and only Son of God, Jesus. Today is going to be a good day. I woke up early and played basketball with the guys. Then I came back to my room and did my morning devotion from the Treasury of Daily Prayer. Now as I listen to the Frank Sinatra channel on Spotify (a music app) I wrote another psalm devotion and am typing up this blog.
I only have one class this afternoon, so I will work both jobs, go to chapel and lunch, and then have some homework to do this evening. I have decided that the seminary campus is too negative of a place. Guys are stressed because of the work load, the time constraints, the financial burdens, and the overall lack of sensible procedure for different departments. I recognized this second year, that it just seems like every one always has something to gripe about here, and since it is easier they just go ahead and spout it out rather than hold it in or look for the positive. It really makes the whole mood of the campus a cranky and unpleasant one. Well, even in the first couple weeks of classes, I have already noticed it starting, and I know I am just as guilty as the next guy. So I decided I am going to be more positive, slow to speak, and look for the good in everything. Philippians 2 is my motto that I just keep repeating in my head to help me try to stay positive. So it truly is going to be a good day because I am going to be glad and rejoice in the abundant blessings our Good Lord showers upon us rather than grumble! Hopefully you can be glad and rejoice with me!
Here is my devotion on psalm 11. I wrote the one for 17 this morning so I am a few ahead, but in my mind that is a good thing so even when I get busy with school and life I will still have things to post on here. Blessings on your joyful day in the name of the one who gives us all of our joy, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 11:2
As a bow hunter now, which I can say since I have gotten a deer with my bow, I took notice of verse two immediately. At first glance it made me miss bow hunting, but then as I reread it and looked closer I realized something. One of the things I love most about bow hunting is the fact that you get to be part of nature. You deck out in camouflage from head to toe, you sit up in a tree blending in with the branches, and you sit as silently and as still as possible. The last part is the toughest for me since I constantly have to be moving. However, when you do sit still and silent, after a while you start noticing birds flying around you. The squirrels start coming out of the trees and playing again. Bugs fly around you if the weather is warm enough for them to be out. Everything begins to act as if you are not even there, because they do not realize you are there anymore. You have completely hidden yourself and blended in, and now you get to see what nature is really like all the times you aren’t out there. Then, hopefully if it’s a good day, the deer start to move. The night I got my buck, I was sitting in the tree stand looking down a waterway with corn on both sides of it. As I was watching and listening for any movement, I noticed his antlers just barely sticking out of the end of the corn row. He slowly came out of the corn field and into the short grass where I could not fully see him. I had my bow in my hand and an arrow in the bow, but I waited to draw back. As I patiently waited, he kept walking closer and closer until he stood almost directly below me. I could have jumped out of the tree and landed on him. He literally had no idea I was there. He was just going about his evening like any other evening. Then I shot at him once and missed because of the straight down angle I had to take. He ran away not sure what that was that just hit the dirt in front of him. He stopped at about thirty yards and was looking all around trying to figure out what just happened. Even then when he was aware something wasn’t quite right, he still could not find where I was at because of my camouflage. This is when I put the second arrow in, drew back, and hit him. As the hunter, this is an amazing feeling of being invisible, undetectable, and successful in the hunt.
However, as my mother tries to tell me over and over, from the deer’s perspective, this is a nightmare. He is just walking along, getting a little supper, traveling the same area he has traveled several times before, minding his own business, when all of a sudden something flashes before his eyes and hits the dirt right in front of him. He then panics and runs away, but then he stops to try to see what is going on. Confused, on alert, and a little scared, he frantically searches for what is out there disrupting his evening. He looks and looks but doesn’t see anything. Then out of nowhere, BAM! Pain hits hard, adrenalin kicks in, and off he sprints to spend his final minute of life trying to run away from whatever just hit him. This is what the deer experiences as I was throwing my fist in the air celebrating.
In this Psalm, King David is not the hunter, he is the deer. He is the one trying to find the one hunting him. He is the one trying to survive the hunt of his enemies. The wicked are the ones who are camouflaged in the tree, with the bow in hand and arrow clipped on the string. The wicked are the ones who sit in wait as silent and still as possible hoping to take down the righteous ones, including King David. King David not only pictures the wicked as lying in wait with bows in hand and arrow clipped in, but they are shooting in the dark. They are not only in camouflage, they are hidden in the dark. My mom says I don’t play fair with the deer when I hunt, well the wicked definitely do not play fair as they use darkness as cover to help them win the hunt.
There are times where we can sympathize with David here though, which means we can sympathize with the deer too I suppose. We feel like the Devil is out there, we can just sense something is not right. It just seems like he is there waiting to make us hurt, waiting to take us down. No matter how hard we look though, we can’t see him. The wicked are always thinking of new ways to set us up to fall. They think of new arguments against Christianity that they know will get under our skin. They blend in with the world as our friends, our family, or our neighbors, they are wearing their camouflage. They have the bow and arrow ready, they are in wait to watch us slip up and make a mistake, or say something stupid, or do anything that they can show us we really aren’t as “Christian” or as “righteous” as we think we are. The wicked seem to be surrounding us, and we are the deer trying to figure out where the arrows are flying from.
However, notice what King David says in verse one, “In the Lord I take refuge, how can you say to my soul?” He is very clearly stating his trust and confidence in the fact that the Lord is His protection. He is asking, how can you say this to me, how can you think the enemy is not playing fair? In all reality, we are the ones not playing fair. We are the ones who have the Almighty, All-powerful, Lord of All as our defense; the Devil doesn’t stand a chance. It’s like a sixth grader who is picking on a kindergartner, so the kindergartner brings in his 22 year old navy seal brother. The devil is not playing fair by being a sixth grader picking on us kindergartners, but we don’t play fair by calling in our God, the biggest toughest one there is. We need to be aware that the wicked are out there and are trying to do whatever they can to take us down, but we do not fear or let that stop us because we know we have the Lord as our refuge, He is on our side. If God is for us, who can be against us. All praise the one who is our refuge and protects us from the wicked and the wicked one, bows, arrows, and all their works and weapons – He crushed them all on the cross where He defeated all of our enemies.
I only have one class this afternoon, so I will work both jobs, go to chapel and lunch, and then have some homework to do this evening. I have decided that the seminary campus is too negative of a place. Guys are stressed because of the work load, the time constraints, the financial burdens, and the overall lack of sensible procedure for different departments. I recognized this second year, that it just seems like every one always has something to gripe about here, and since it is easier they just go ahead and spout it out rather than hold it in or look for the positive. It really makes the whole mood of the campus a cranky and unpleasant one. Well, even in the first couple weeks of classes, I have already noticed it starting, and I know I am just as guilty as the next guy. So I decided I am going to be more positive, slow to speak, and look for the good in everything. Philippians 2 is my motto that I just keep repeating in my head to help me try to stay positive. So it truly is going to be a good day because I am going to be glad and rejoice in the abundant blessings our Good Lord showers upon us rather than grumble! Hopefully you can be glad and rejoice with me!
Here is my devotion on psalm 11. I wrote the one for 17 this morning so I am a few ahead, but in my mind that is a good thing so even when I get busy with school and life I will still have things to post on here. Blessings on your joyful day in the name of the one who gives us all of our joy, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 11:2
As a bow hunter now, which I can say since I have gotten a deer with my bow, I took notice of verse two immediately. At first glance it made me miss bow hunting, but then as I reread it and looked closer I realized something. One of the things I love most about bow hunting is the fact that you get to be part of nature. You deck out in camouflage from head to toe, you sit up in a tree blending in with the branches, and you sit as silently and as still as possible. The last part is the toughest for me since I constantly have to be moving. However, when you do sit still and silent, after a while you start noticing birds flying around you. The squirrels start coming out of the trees and playing again. Bugs fly around you if the weather is warm enough for them to be out. Everything begins to act as if you are not even there, because they do not realize you are there anymore. You have completely hidden yourself and blended in, and now you get to see what nature is really like all the times you aren’t out there. Then, hopefully if it’s a good day, the deer start to move. The night I got my buck, I was sitting in the tree stand looking down a waterway with corn on both sides of it. As I was watching and listening for any movement, I noticed his antlers just barely sticking out of the end of the corn row. He slowly came out of the corn field and into the short grass where I could not fully see him. I had my bow in my hand and an arrow in the bow, but I waited to draw back. As I patiently waited, he kept walking closer and closer until he stood almost directly below me. I could have jumped out of the tree and landed on him. He literally had no idea I was there. He was just going about his evening like any other evening. Then I shot at him once and missed because of the straight down angle I had to take. He ran away not sure what that was that just hit the dirt in front of him. He stopped at about thirty yards and was looking all around trying to figure out what just happened. Even then when he was aware something wasn’t quite right, he still could not find where I was at because of my camouflage. This is when I put the second arrow in, drew back, and hit him. As the hunter, this is an amazing feeling of being invisible, undetectable, and successful in the hunt.
However, as my mother tries to tell me over and over, from the deer’s perspective, this is a nightmare. He is just walking along, getting a little supper, traveling the same area he has traveled several times before, minding his own business, when all of a sudden something flashes before his eyes and hits the dirt right in front of him. He then panics and runs away, but then he stops to try to see what is going on. Confused, on alert, and a little scared, he frantically searches for what is out there disrupting his evening. He looks and looks but doesn’t see anything. Then out of nowhere, BAM! Pain hits hard, adrenalin kicks in, and off he sprints to spend his final minute of life trying to run away from whatever just hit him. This is what the deer experiences as I was throwing my fist in the air celebrating.
In this Psalm, King David is not the hunter, he is the deer. He is the one trying to find the one hunting him. He is the one trying to survive the hunt of his enemies. The wicked are the ones who are camouflaged in the tree, with the bow in hand and arrow clipped on the string. The wicked are the ones who sit in wait as silent and still as possible hoping to take down the righteous ones, including King David. King David not only pictures the wicked as lying in wait with bows in hand and arrow clipped in, but they are shooting in the dark. They are not only in camouflage, they are hidden in the dark. My mom says I don’t play fair with the deer when I hunt, well the wicked definitely do not play fair as they use darkness as cover to help them win the hunt.
There are times where we can sympathize with David here though, which means we can sympathize with the deer too I suppose. We feel like the Devil is out there, we can just sense something is not right. It just seems like he is there waiting to make us hurt, waiting to take us down. No matter how hard we look though, we can’t see him. The wicked are always thinking of new ways to set us up to fall. They think of new arguments against Christianity that they know will get under our skin. They blend in with the world as our friends, our family, or our neighbors, they are wearing their camouflage. They have the bow and arrow ready, they are in wait to watch us slip up and make a mistake, or say something stupid, or do anything that they can show us we really aren’t as “Christian” or as “righteous” as we think we are. The wicked seem to be surrounding us, and we are the deer trying to figure out where the arrows are flying from.
However, notice what King David says in verse one, “In the Lord I take refuge, how can you say to my soul?” He is very clearly stating his trust and confidence in the fact that the Lord is His protection. He is asking, how can you say this to me, how can you think the enemy is not playing fair? In all reality, we are the ones not playing fair. We are the ones who have the Almighty, All-powerful, Lord of All as our defense; the Devil doesn’t stand a chance. It’s like a sixth grader who is picking on a kindergartner, so the kindergartner brings in his 22 year old navy seal brother. The devil is not playing fair by being a sixth grader picking on us kindergartners, but we don’t play fair by calling in our God, the biggest toughest one there is. We need to be aware that the wicked are out there and are trying to do whatever they can to take us down, but we do not fear or let that stop us because we know we have the Lord as our refuge, He is on our side. If God is for us, who can be against us. All praise the one who is our refuge and protects us from the wicked and the wicked one, bows, arrows, and all their works and weapons – He crushed them all on the cross where He defeated all of our enemies.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Psalm 10
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord of all. I went back to field work church in Highland, Illinois this morning and it was good to be back. I got a lot of heartfelt welcomes and it was good to see familiar faces again. I was even chased down after service by two ladies requesting I start Adult Bible class next Sunday. I had planned on doing it anyway, but was kind of thrown off by their eagerness for it. However, that is a great thing when God's people thirst for His Word, so I will be more than happy to be leading them through it again.
I have a lot of reading to do yet tonight so I will post my devotion for Psalm 10. I will be hopefully preaching at least two or three times this quarter so I will be posting those sermons on here as well. Blessings on your week this week as you take the Word of God you hopefully heard this morning into the world with you as you go about your life.
Psalm 10 verses 17-18
I was in seventh grade when the World Trade Centers were attacked. I can remember I was in the hall way at school before classes had begun for the day. We always messed around out in the hall way until the bell would ring and we had to go to class. A bunch of the kids were talking about a plane flying into a building. I knew there was a small air port in Anita, a town seven miles from Adair. I just thought some small private plane flown by a local had left from Anita and flown into a house or a barn or some building around our county. I had no idea the full reality of what they were actually talking about. I am not sure they really knew the entire complexity of the news they had heard and were retelling. I do not remember what the class was, but I remember going into Mrs. Elgin’s room at the end of the hall. She had a T.V. that had cable in her room. She had the T.V. on and some of the footage was already being aired. We watched a little bit of it and I quickly realized this was no small plane flying into a farm building in Iowa. I went home that day and watched hours of footage of the planes flying into the buildings, the people scrambling, and then that unforgettable scene of the middle of the day going pitch black as the buildings came down and the dust cloud covered everything in a mile radius. I heard a new word that day that I am not sure I had ever heard before. The news anchors and reports kept using the term “terrorists”. I had to ask mom what that term meant and I think she described it as people who want to cause terror or fear. I had a hard time believing that there were really people in this world whose entire life goal was just to cause terror and fear. Now, twelve years later, I do not even bat an eye at the word terrorists or the idea that this type of people actually exist. It is just common everyday language anymore.
Terrorists have existed long before Al Qaeda and the Muslims came along. The enemies King David is describing in this psalm fit the definition of terrorists. He describes them as having stealthy eyes watching the helpless, lurking in ambush, setting traps, and constantly being a threat. These wicked and evil enemies are causing terror and fear to the poor, the helpless, the fatherless, and the afflicted. That is why King David asks the Lord to do justice in verse 17. He is asking God to bring judgment day so that all of these wicked men who think there is no god, will be judged and condemned. He specifically asks that these men of the earth may strike terror no more. He wants all terrorists who have dedicated their lives to causing terror and fear to be judged and condemned. It’s the same prayer we pray every time we say the Lord’s Prayer. By saying, “Thy kingdom come”, we are asking for Christ to come back, to end the reign and rule of sin, and for all peoples to be judged. We can ask this because we know we are saved from judgment day by the blood of Christ. Because we have our Savior who died for us, marked us with His name in our baptism, and covered us with His righteousness, we do not fear judgment day but ask that it come. We ask that all the wicked and evil be judged and done away with so we do not have to live in terror anymore. However, until that day comes, we live in the security of Christ’s love, protection, and salvation. We know even if terrorists do attack us and end our life here on this earth, we already have our eternal life in Christ. We do not have to live in fear or terror because we have His reassuring promises of eternal life. Praise be to our God who is our strength and refuge, our protection and assurance, and our life.
I have a lot of reading to do yet tonight so I will post my devotion for Psalm 10. I will be hopefully preaching at least two or three times this quarter so I will be posting those sermons on here as well. Blessings on your week this week as you take the Word of God you hopefully heard this morning into the world with you as you go about your life.
Psalm 10 verses 17-18
I was in seventh grade when the World Trade Centers were attacked. I can remember I was in the hall way at school before classes had begun for the day. We always messed around out in the hall way until the bell would ring and we had to go to class. A bunch of the kids were talking about a plane flying into a building. I knew there was a small air port in Anita, a town seven miles from Adair. I just thought some small private plane flown by a local had left from Anita and flown into a house or a barn or some building around our county. I had no idea the full reality of what they were actually talking about. I am not sure they really knew the entire complexity of the news they had heard and were retelling. I do not remember what the class was, but I remember going into Mrs. Elgin’s room at the end of the hall. She had a T.V. that had cable in her room. She had the T.V. on and some of the footage was already being aired. We watched a little bit of it and I quickly realized this was no small plane flying into a farm building in Iowa. I went home that day and watched hours of footage of the planes flying into the buildings, the people scrambling, and then that unforgettable scene of the middle of the day going pitch black as the buildings came down and the dust cloud covered everything in a mile radius. I heard a new word that day that I am not sure I had ever heard before. The news anchors and reports kept using the term “terrorists”. I had to ask mom what that term meant and I think she described it as people who want to cause terror or fear. I had a hard time believing that there were really people in this world whose entire life goal was just to cause terror and fear. Now, twelve years later, I do not even bat an eye at the word terrorists or the idea that this type of people actually exist. It is just common everyday language anymore.
Terrorists have existed long before Al Qaeda and the Muslims came along. The enemies King David is describing in this psalm fit the definition of terrorists. He describes them as having stealthy eyes watching the helpless, lurking in ambush, setting traps, and constantly being a threat. These wicked and evil enemies are causing terror and fear to the poor, the helpless, the fatherless, and the afflicted. That is why King David asks the Lord to do justice in verse 17. He is asking God to bring judgment day so that all of these wicked men who think there is no god, will be judged and condemned. He specifically asks that these men of the earth may strike terror no more. He wants all terrorists who have dedicated their lives to causing terror and fear to be judged and condemned. It’s the same prayer we pray every time we say the Lord’s Prayer. By saying, “Thy kingdom come”, we are asking for Christ to come back, to end the reign and rule of sin, and for all peoples to be judged. We can ask this because we know we are saved from judgment day by the blood of Christ. Because we have our Savior who died for us, marked us with His name in our baptism, and covered us with His righteousness, we do not fear judgment day but ask that it come. We ask that all the wicked and evil be judged and done away with so we do not have to live in terror anymore. However, until that day comes, we live in the security of Christ’s love, protection, and salvation. We know even if terrorists do attack us and end our life here on this earth, we already have our eternal life in Christ. We do not have to live in fear or terror because we have His reassuring promises of eternal life. Praise be to our God who is our strength and refuge, our protection and assurance, and our life.
Friday, September 12, 2014
September Newsletter
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first week of classes is almost over and I am already tired and behind. However, overall it was a pretty good week. I have been getting up at 6 every morning to play basketball with a group of guys. It is a lot of fun and a good way to start my day, but it sure makes for longer days too. My classes are actually really good and enjoyable this quarter but there is a lot of reading. I only have one test this whole quarter but I have a lot of papers. I will try to post some of the awesome stuff we are covering in my classes.
I am jealous that it was 41 in Brookings this morning and only 55 here is St. Louis. I am so ready for winter. I am scared I am going to get robbed of winter this year. I am going to post my newsletter from last September up here today because it is also a devotion on Psalm 23.
Hebrew vs. English
“Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:4, 6
Psalm 23 is the most famous Psalm. Most lifelong Christians can recite it from memory. Its beautiful imagery is used in hymns and in prayers. It brings comfort and peace to distraught hearts, which is why it is used in most funeral services. Having gone to a few funerals in August of saints whom the Lord called home, I have heard this psalm multiple times recently.
However, I do not hear it the same way most people probably do. The English translation conveys the true meaning of the psalm, but it does miss a few things that the original text in Hebrew expresses. I know probably most you do not know Greek or Hebrew, so I want to take this opportunity to point out two powerful differences between the English and the Hebrew of Psalm 23.
The first difference is that Hebrew poetry has the capability to do some pretty awesome things just by the wording and structure of the poem that English has no way of expressing. One very common theme of Hebrew poetry is that the author will put the most important idea or concept, the heart of the matter, in the very center of the poem. This is a pattern that is found in Psalm 23. In the Hebrew, there are twenty six words, three words in the middle, and then another twenty six words. The three words in the middle are the most important for the poem; they are the true heart of the psalm. These three words in Hebrew come out as four words in English in verse 4, “For you are with me.” The heart of all of Psalm 23 is that we know the Lord is with us. He is able to lead us beside quiet waters, make us lie down in green pasture, and restore our souls because He is with us. This is something the Hebrew reader would have been able to see right away, but the construction does not carry over into English.
The second difference is a translation difference. In verse six the Hebrew word is almost always translated as “follow”, which is acceptable. However, the Hebrew more strongly conveys an idea of pursuing or hunting. In my mind this slight change makes it so much more powerful because God’s goodness and mercy are not following us around like our shadow, but rather are pursuing or actually chasing us. No matter what we do, no matter where we try to run, it is chasing us and constantly with us. This especially makes sense when you remember that the heart of the psalm is that God is with us. This is how I hear Psalm 23 when it is read at funerals or at other times, and it is comforting to know our God is always with us, actively pursuing us with His goodness and mercy.
I am jealous that it was 41 in Brookings this morning and only 55 here is St. Louis. I am so ready for winter. I am scared I am going to get robbed of winter this year. I am going to post my newsletter from last September up here today because it is also a devotion on Psalm 23.
Hebrew vs. English
“Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:4, 6
Psalm 23 is the most famous Psalm. Most lifelong Christians can recite it from memory. Its beautiful imagery is used in hymns and in prayers. It brings comfort and peace to distraught hearts, which is why it is used in most funeral services. Having gone to a few funerals in August of saints whom the Lord called home, I have heard this psalm multiple times recently.
However, I do not hear it the same way most people probably do. The English translation conveys the true meaning of the psalm, but it does miss a few things that the original text in Hebrew expresses. I know probably most you do not know Greek or Hebrew, so I want to take this opportunity to point out two powerful differences between the English and the Hebrew of Psalm 23.
The first difference is that Hebrew poetry has the capability to do some pretty awesome things just by the wording and structure of the poem that English has no way of expressing. One very common theme of Hebrew poetry is that the author will put the most important idea or concept, the heart of the matter, in the very center of the poem. This is a pattern that is found in Psalm 23. In the Hebrew, there are twenty six words, three words in the middle, and then another twenty six words. The three words in the middle are the most important for the poem; they are the true heart of the psalm. These three words in Hebrew come out as four words in English in verse 4, “For you are with me.” The heart of all of Psalm 23 is that we know the Lord is with us. He is able to lead us beside quiet waters, make us lie down in green pasture, and restore our souls because He is with us. This is something the Hebrew reader would have been able to see right away, but the construction does not carry over into English.
The second difference is a translation difference. In verse six the Hebrew word is almost always translated as “follow”, which is acceptable. However, the Hebrew more strongly conveys an idea of pursuing or hunting. In my mind this slight change makes it so much more powerful because God’s goodness and mercy are not following us around like our shadow, but rather are pursuing or actually chasing us. No matter what we do, no matter where we try to run, it is chasing us and constantly with us. This especially makes sense when you remember that the heart of the psalm is that God is with us. This is how I hear Psalm 23 when it is read at funerals or at other times, and it is comforting to know our God is always with us, actively pursuing us with His goodness and mercy.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Psalm 16 Devotion
Greetings in the name of the Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. I woke up early this morning, went, and worked out with a couple friends. Now I am using the time between working out and chapel to get my Adopt-A-Student Thank You's, another psalm devotion, and this blog post done. It actually feels pretty good to get up, get the blood flowing, and be productive first thing in the morning.
I know I am going out of order a little bit, but I wrote this devotion on Psalm 16 this morning and it was just so moving to me because I just had this experience this last Sunday that I wanted to share it with you while it was still fresh to me. So here it is, enjoy!
Psalm 16 verse 2
I think verse 2 of this Psalm sums up our entire lives as Christians. This is what I try to remind myself of daily. I actually use this same frame of mind as my pre and post communion prayers. I thank the Good Lord that He has chosen me to be His holy and saved son. I do this because I know if He had not chosen me, I would have absolutely nothing good in my life. I would have no value, no worth, no point of existence. I would be completely worthless, just a sinner not worthy to even know what love is, not worthy to know what joy or happiness even feels like. I truly have no good apart from Him. I would not have life, but would instead be headed down the fast track straight for the eternal fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Without my Lord, I would be absolutely nothing but a damned sinner with not one iota of good in my life. You see, me myself on my own, by my own doings and my own efforts, I am truly and absolutely completely worthless. Stop and think about that, it is true for you too. You on your own are completely worthless! You do not have any worth at all. You are not worth the air you breath, you are not worth the Charmin you wipe with, you are not even worth the feces you are wiping off! As a sinner we are the truly lowest, scummiest, most worthless, waste of space there is. Feeling pretty low right now aren’t you? GOOD! This is our confession as sinners that we realize how far into sin we have fallen, how far from God we let sin separate us, and how truly worthless sin has made us. This is my pre-communion prayer as I am walking up to partake of the body and blood of my Savior. I remind myself that without Him that is who I am and what I would be, the lowest, scummiest, most worthless chief of sinners that does not even have the value of manure. And yet because of what Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior did for me I do have value. I am worth something; in fact I am worth something extremely valuable. I am worth the life of the one and only Son of our God. He is the good in my life, He is the ONLY good in my life. He is my all in all, He is my everything because without Him I would be nothing.
Pastor Wurm preached a really good sermon while I was on vicarage. The issue he addressed was how so many people are mad at God or angry with God because how could a loving and merciful God let bad things happen to good people? Pastor Wurm’s main point that I will always remember is that this is asking the wrong question. The question is not why does God let bad things happen to good people, the correct question is why does God give good things to such bad people. You see we as sinners are truly “bad” people, and we deserve nothing but eternal damnation. It is by His grace and mercy alone that He gives us good things in our sinful lives. It is by His gracefulness and lovingness that He sent His Son to redeem such a lost and condemned race of people and gave them the only good they have in their lives. We have just taken this good for granted. We have entitled ourselves to think we deserve this good and even further do not deserve the bad. One of my pet peeve statements of our generations is when we tell each other we only deserve happiness. No we don’t! This is completely denying our sinful state. We deserve nothing but misery and pain. Our gracious and loving Lord and God gives us the good we have in our life. He gives us love; we only love each other because He first loved us. He gives us joy, happiness, and good things because He loves us forgive us of our sinfulness and give us our value and worth in His name.
It truly is only because He is our Lord that we have any good in our lives. Apart from Him there is no good in our lives. My post communion prayer, in tears most of the time, is genuinely thanking Him for the mercy and love He has shown to this worthless sinner. As I confess my absolute worthlessness without Him, then receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, my Savior who was willing to die on the cross for my sake, to give my life value and worth, to give me the very life I have in His name, I cannot help but be in complete and utter awe as I thank Him so very, very, very much for the good I have in my life because He chose me and made me His. ALL PRAISE AND THANKS BE TO GOD, the only good in our lives!
“You are my Lord, I have no good apart from you!” Amen!
I know I am going out of order a little bit, but I wrote this devotion on Psalm 16 this morning and it was just so moving to me because I just had this experience this last Sunday that I wanted to share it with you while it was still fresh to me. So here it is, enjoy!
Psalm 16 verse 2
I think verse 2 of this Psalm sums up our entire lives as Christians. This is what I try to remind myself of daily. I actually use this same frame of mind as my pre and post communion prayers. I thank the Good Lord that He has chosen me to be His holy and saved son. I do this because I know if He had not chosen me, I would have absolutely nothing good in my life. I would have no value, no worth, no point of existence. I would be completely worthless, just a sinner not worthy to even know what love is, not worthy to know what joy or happiness even feels like. I truly have no good apart from Him. I would not have life, but would instead be headed down the fast track straight for the eternal fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Without my Lord, I would be absolutely nothing but a damned sinner with not one iota of good in my life. You see, me myself on my own, by my own doings and my own efforts, I am truly and absolutely completely worthless. Stop and think about that, it is true for you too. You on your own are completely worthless! You do not have any worth at all. You are not worth the air you breath, you are not worth the Charmin you wipe with, you are not even worth the feces you are wiping off! As a sinner we are the truly lowest, scummiest, most worthless, waste of space there is. Feeling pretty low right now aren’t you? GOOD! This is our confession as sinners that we realize how far into sin we have fallen, how far from God we let sin separate us, and how truly worthless sin has made us. This is my pre-communion prayer as I am walking up to partake of the body and blood of my Savior. I remind myself that without Him that is who I am and what I would be, the lowest, scummiest, most worthless chief of sinners that does not even have the value of manure. And yet because of what Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior did for me I do have value. I am worth something; in fact I am worth something extremely valuable. I am worth the life of the one and only Son of our God. He is the good in my life, He is the ONLY good in my life. He is my all in all, He is my everything because without Him I would be nothing.
Pastor Wurm preached a really good sermon while I was on vicarage. The issue he addressed was how so many people are mad at God or angry with God because how could a loving and merciful God let bad things happen to good people? Pastor Wurm’s main point that I will always remember is that this is asking the wrong question. The question is not why does God let bad things happen to good people, the correct question is why does God give good things to such bad people. You see we as sinners are truly “bad” people, and we deserve nothing but eternal damnation. It is by His grace and mercy alone that He gives us good things in our sinful lives. It is by His gracefulness and lovingness that He sent His Son to redeem such a lost and condemned race of people and gave them the only good they have in their lives. We have just taken this good for granted. We have entitled ourselves to think we deserve this good and even further do not deserve the bad. One of my pet peeve statements of our generations is when we tell each other we only deserve happiness. No we don’t! This is completely denying our sinful state. We deserve nothing but misery and pain. Our gracious and loving Lord and God gives us the good we have in our life. He gives us love; we only love each other because He first loved us. He gives us joy, happiness, and good things because He loves us forgive us of our sinfulness and give us our value and worth in His name.
It truly is only because He is our Lord that we have any good in our lives. Apart from Him there is no good in our lives. My post communion prayer, in tears most of the time, is genuinely thanking Him for the mercy and love He has shown to this worthless sinner. As I confess my absolute worthlessness without Him, then receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, my Savior who was willing to die on the cross for my sake, to give my life value and worth, to give me the very life I have in His name, I cannot help but be in complete and utter awe as I thank Him so very, very, very much for the good I have in my life because He chose me and made me His. ALL PRAISE AND THANKS BE TO GOD, the only good in our lives!
“You are my Lord, I have no good apart from you!” Amen!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Psalm 9 Devotion
Greetings in the name of Jesus! Classes started today and I am in my LAST first day of classes ever. I went to my first class at 8 A.M. and was sitting in the front row by my friend. The professor who also happens to be the provost of campus literally said to me, "Richter, you've made it this far?" Always a good
way to start fourth year. I have two more classes this afternoon and then work both general labor and dinner tonight.
I only have a short break between chapel and lunch so I am posting an old psalm devotion I typed up awhile ago. Hope you enjoy!
Psalm 9 verse 20
In America we have this concept of a being a man’s man. There are things I like to do to feel more like a man. I like to let my beard grow out full and long, I like to work hard and get dirty. Whether it is running a chainsaw and being covered in sawdust, working on a motor and being covered in oil and grease, or working on the farm and being covered in dirt, I like it all. I love to use power tools, and I especially love using large equipment. Working at the state and driving the 15 ton front end loader, driving the road grater, or riding in the dump trucks looking down at passing cars were some of the best times of my life. I love to hunt, fish, golf, play tennis, and hike mountains. I enjoy whiskey, straight bourbon, and good cigars. Even if I am not actually doing the activity, I still love to watch mud bogs as the jacked up trucks races through mud, dirt track races as the sprint cars slide sideways around the corners, or lumberjack contests as the big burly men chop huge stumps in half with axes and handsaw through huge logs. OK, so you get the point I am trying to make, but it’s true. I think there is a part of every guy that wants to believe he is a man’s man; the type of tough guy you could drop off in the wilderness and he would come out the other side just fine. Our society has driven this idea and image into our minds. Look at guys favorite movies: Braveheart, Die Hard series, Robin Hood, Gladiator, and any war movie or western. They all portray this idealistic men or heroes who go above and beyond, risking their lives to fight for what they believe in. I have a magnet of John Wayne with the quote, “A man has to do what a man has to do.” These are the kind of slogans that promote men being the manliest men they can be. This is not necessarily a bad thing. However, we see in this psalm King David, who was a pretty manly man, asking God to remind all nations that they are merely men.
Yes, we built this country on the blood and sweat of men who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. However, we cannot gain or earn our salvation by that same effort. We can do nothing for our salvation or freedom from sin. No matter how hard we try, no matter how hard we work, no matter how dirty we get, we will always be sinners on our own. This is why God sent His Son, the only man who could ever get dirty enough or work hard enough to save us. Christ our Lord did get dirty and He did risk His life and stand up for what He believed in. Christ was covered in His own blood as He was beaten, covered in dirt and spit as the soldiers mocked Him and pushed Him around. Even being beaten He struggled to use all His strength to carrying His own cross up the hill. He laid there as they drove nails through His hands and feet and then gave up His own life to do what He had to do. Talk about the toughest, bravest men of men. And yet Christ did this all for you and me. He did it not only to protect but to save the people He loved. He is the true Hero who won for us our salvation once and for all. This is the Lord we have!
And yet, we must always remember that it was purely because of what He did that we are saved. No matter how manly we are our salvation only comes from His death and resurrection. Our eternal life is 100 percent a gift from Him. So this is why we need to be reminded that we are merely men and not let our manly egos get the best of us. We must be constantly reminded that we should fear the Lord because He is the judge and the one who died to be our Lord. We must always respect the fact that we can do nothing to earn our salvation. We can though use our manly traits to serve Him and bring the good news to all peoples. We can be tough enough to get outside our own comfort zones, we can be brave enough to tell people about Jesus and His Gospel, and we can get dirty helping our neighbors who are in need. So go ahead, be a man, do your duty, stand up for what you believe in, and work to spread the Gospel. Just do so knowing we are merely men who deserved the punishment Christ took on for us and He freely gives us our salvation and the ability to serve Him through His grace, mercy, and love. Remember you are a man, and He is God. Thanks be to God He did what He had to do!
way to start fourth year. I have two more classes this afternoon and then work both general labor and dinner tonight.
I only have a short break between chapel and lunch so I am posting an old psalm devotion I typed up awhile ago. Hope you enjoy!
Psalm 9 verse 20
In America we have this concept of a being a man’s man. There are things I like to do to feel more like a man. I like to let my beard grow out full and long, I like to work hard and get dirty. Whether it is running a chainsaw and being covered in sawdust, working on a motor and being covered in oil and grease, or working on the farm and being covered in dirt, I like it all. I love to use power tools, and I especially love using large equipment. Working at the state and driving the 15 ton front end loader, driving the road grater, or riding in the dump trucks looking down at passing cars were some of the best times of my life. I love to hunt, fish, golf, play tennis, and hike mountains. I enjoy whiskey, straight bourbon, and good cigars. Even if I am not actually doing the activity, I still love to watch mud bogs as the jacked up trucks races through mud, dirt track races as the sprint cars slide sideways around the corners, or lumberjack contests as the big burly men chop huge stumps in half with axes and handsaw through huge logs. OK, so you get the point I am trying to make, but it’s true. I think there is a part of every guy that wants to believe he is a man’s man; the type of tough guy you could drop off in the wilderness and he would come out the other side just fine. Our society has driven this idea and image into our minds. Look at guys favorite movies: Braveheart, Die Hard series, Robin Hood, Gladiator, and any war movie or western. They all portray this idealistic men or heroes who go above and beyond, risking their lives to fight for what they believe in. I have a magnet of John Wayne with the quote, “A man has to do what a man has to do.” These are the kind of slogans that promote men being the manliest men they can be. This is not necessarily a bad thing. However, we see in this psalm King David, who was a pretty manly man, asking God to remind all nations that they are merely men.
Yes, we built this country on the blood and sweat of men who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. However, we cannot gain or earn our salvation by that same effort. We can do nothing for our salvation or freedom from sin. No matter how hard we try, no matter how hard we work, no matter how dirty we get, we will always be sinners on our own. This is why God sent His Son, the only man who could ever get dirty enough or work hard enough to save us. Christ our Lord did get dirty and He did risk His life and stand up for what He believed in. Christ was covered in His own blood as He was beaten, covered in dirt and spit as the soldiers mocked Him and pushed Him around. Even being beaten He struggled to use all His strength to carrying His own cross up the hill. He laid there as they drove nails through His hands and feet and then gave up His own life to do what He had to do. Talk about the toughest, bravest men of men. And yet Christ did this all for you and me. He did it not only to protect but to save the people He loved. He is the true Hero who won for us our salvation once and for all. This is the Lord we have!
And yet, we must always remember that it was purely because of what He did that we are saved. No matter how manly we are our salvation only comes from His death and resurrection. Our eternal life is 100 percent a gift from Him. So this is why we need to be reminded that we are merely men and not let our manly egos get the best of us. We must be constantly reminded that we should fear the Lord because He is the judge and the one who died to be our Lord. We must always respect the fact that we can do nothing to earn our salvation. We can though use our manly traits to serve Him and bring the good news to all peoples. We can be tough enough to get outside our own comfort zones, we can be brave enough to tell people about Jesus and His Gospel, and we can get dirty helping our neighbors who are in need. So go ahead, be a man, do your duty, stand up for what you believe in, and work to spread the Gospel. Just do so knowing we are merely men who deserved the punishment Christ took on for us and He freely gives us our salvation and the ability to serve Him through His grace, mercy, and love. Remember you are a man, and He is God. Thanks be to God He did what He had to do!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Back on Campus!
Greetings to you all in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. I just wanted to let you all know that I am in fact still alive and have not given up on this blog. I know it has been almost three months and I apologize for the break but I have been just a little busy. I finished up my vicarage on July 2nd which was extremely hard and sad. I did not want to leave, but that just shows how much I absolutely loved my year there. I had my meeting with Dr. Nielsen today and I have officially passed vicarage and have been awarded the full 18 credits for the year. I do miss it so much already, but know they are still in great hands up north.
Then in July after I finished moving my stuff home and leaving the great state of South Dakota, I did some traveling around Nebraska and to Indiana. I was in my friends Bill and Jami's wedding on July 5th which was a blast. Then I spent a few days in Omaha with my sister and bro-in-law. Then my college buddy Ernie and I went out to Indiana to see our old pal Logan. We had a fun couple days seeing where he is living and teaching. Then I went back to Nebraska and tried to see as many people as I could while I was there. I went with JoAnna and Steven and their friends to the Niobrara and did a float down the river. I spent a couple days in Grand Island with my dear friends Ben and Shalee, and then I went way out west to Sydney for a wedding. Well technically it was a blessing of a civil marriage. I actually conducted the service by myself since they were legally married in the court house and were simply doing a blessing of the marriage. That was a fun weekend and a unique but very good experience. Then I went back home to Iowa at the first of August. It was a great month of traveling and seeing friends, but it went by way to fast.
Then in Iowa I worked a couple jobs for a couple weeks building fence and working at the Happy Chef again. I was also a waiter at the Happy Chef this time though and learned a lot about food service. I tried to make as much money as I could in those couple weeks before going back to school. I also spent a lot of time with my friends Joe and Hilary mainly working on their barn. We were building a loft for hay and it was actually quite fun. I also did some painting in mom's house as they continue to spruce it up after the storm. I did have the opportunity to preach for one service while I was home and that was fun to preach for all the people that I have grown up with in the church. It was also special to have some of my friends there to support me while they had the chance to see me preach. I cannot thank the good Lord enough for the uncountable blessings He has given me through all the amazing people I have in my life.
Now I am back down in St. Louis and already back to working two of my three main jobs. I am still working in Residential Services helping with orientation and getting everyone officially moved in and settled. Then I am also still working for Campus Services of moving stuff and setting up and tearing down classrooms and other rooms for events. I have been working all day every week day since I got here. So I apologize that through the traveling, working at home, and working on campus I never made the time to blog. However, I do plan to be more regular again with it now, especially when classes start next week. I will also be working food service again running the cash registers at lunch and supper.
It is really good to see the guys again and be back with friends. It has also been really fun getting to know quite a few of the first year guys who seem to be really cool and normal guys. I think it will be a great year, I just hope it doesn't go too fast and classes aren't too strenuous.
This is my post for today, but I will try to get another Psalm devotion or something theological up here by the end of the week for you all. Thank you so much for sticking with me and for all of your support and prayers for me. The Lord be with you. Christ is Lord of all!!! Amen!
Then in July after I finished moving my stuff home and leaving the great state of South Dakota, I did some traveling around Nebraska and to Indiana. I was in my friends Bill and Jami's wedding on July 5th which was a blast. Then I spent a few days in Omaha with my sister and bro-in-law. Then my college buddy Ernie and I went out to Indiana to see our old pal Logan. We had a fun couple days seeing where he is living and teaching. Then I went back to Nebraska and tried to see as many people as I could while I was there. I went with JoAnna and Steven and their friends to the Niobrara and did a float down the river. I spent a couple days in Grand Island with my dear friends Ben and Shalee, and then I went way out west to Sydney for a wedding. Well technically it was a blessing of a civil marriage. I actually conducted the service by myself since they were legally married in the court house and were simply doing a blessing of the marriage. That was a fun weekend and a unique but very good experience. Then I went back home to Iowa at the first of August. It was a great month of traveling and seeing friends, but it went by way to fast.
Then in Iowa I worked a couple jobs for a couple weeks building fence and working at the Happy Chef again. I was also a waiter at the Happy Chef this time though and learned a lot about food service. I tried to make as much money as I could in those couple weeks before going back to school. I also spent a lot of time with my friends Joe and Hilary mainly working on their barn. We were building a loft for hay and it was actually quite fun. I also did some painting in mom's house as they continue to spruce it up after the storm. I did have the opportunity to preach for one service while I was home and that was fun to preach for all the people that I have grown up with in the church. It was also special to have some of my friends there to support me while they had the chance to see me preach. I cannot thank the good Lord enough for the uncountable blessings He has given me through all the amazing people I have in my life.
Now I am back down in St. Louis and already back to working two of my three main jobs. I am still working in Residential Services helping with orientation and getting everyone officially moved in and settled. Then I am also still working for Campus Services of moving stuff and setting up and tearing down classrooms and other rooms for events. I have been working all day every week day since I got here. So I apologize that through the traveling, working at home, and working on campus I never made the time to blog. However, I do plan to be more regular again with it now, especially when classes start next week. I will also be working food service again running the cash registers at lunch and supper.
It is really good to see the guys again and be back with friends. It has also been really fun getting to know quite a few of the first year guys who seem to be really cool and normal guys. I think it will be a great year, I just hope it doesn't go too fast and classes aren't too strenuous.
This is my post for today, but I will try to get another Psalm devotion or something theological up here by the end of the week for you all. Thank you so much for sticking with me and for all of your support and prayers for me. The Lord be with you. Christ is Lord of all!!! Amen!