Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: May 2016

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

1. John 4,16-21. 1. Sunday after Trinity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

1. John 4,16b-21 3216

1. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 046

Cyrillus, boy, Martyr 250/60

Fall of Constantinople 1543

29. Mai 2016

1. О Lord God, Heavenly Father, we beseech You so to rule and govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may not, like the rich man, hear Your word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal as to forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability minister to such as are in need, and not defile ourselves with greed and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Your Fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One True God, world without end. Amen. (Veit Dietrich for the 1. Sn. n. Trinitatis)

2. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says: „I love God,“ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannotlove God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

3. God is love. Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν. His love is unconditional, and He desires that our love be unconditional to others. Earlier, the Apostle John wrote in his epistle: »In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His Only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins« (1. John 4,9-10).

4. We celebrate and honor sacrificial love this weekend with our annual Memorial Day. This celebration originated as Decoration Day in 1868 when the Union veterans decorated the tombstones of fallen comrades with flowers. Later Union and Confederate traditions merged together to commemorate Memorial Day in 1882, became more common in 1918, but the holiday did not gain Federal recognition until 1967. Memorial Day honors all those who have died while serving in our armed forces.

5. The New Testament tells us about another person who died to save others. We remember Him each Sunday. We honor His death on Good Friday, and we celebrate His resurrection on Easter. Jesus is God’s love manifested in the flesh for us. The Apostle John tells us: »God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.« And the Psalmist sings: »The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned« (Psalm 34,32).

6. This is good news for us. By our fallen human nature, we are more prone to hate rather than to love and more apt to fear rather than to believe. When the apostle exhorts us to love our brothers and sisters of the human race our hearts may become terror-stricken because we know our hearts are often filled with disdain for our fellow men and women. His exhortation to believe likewise may cause angst for it is far easier to fear than to trust God. Moses tells us: »You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might« (Deuteronomy 6,5). Who can do that satisfactory enough to fulfill God’s law and please Him?

7. Jesus told the crowds: »What is impossible with man is possible with God« (Luke 18,27). The Lord our God loves us with all His heart, with all His soul and with all His might. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of that love in our midst, and in this love He poured out His life on the cross and took it up again from the grave to redeem us and restore us back to His Heavenly Father. Thus, we share in the glory of Lazarus. We will be in the presence of Abraham and the Divine fellowship of the Triune God, the angels and all people who believe on Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection is the guarantee of this eternal life of salvation. The Holy Scriptures proclaim that the judgment of sinners has been born by Jesus, and that His judgment results in our justification. We have this grace now, it strengthens us throughout our life and leads us to everlasting life in the new heavens and earth. What is impossible with man is possible with Jesus. He is the Perfect Love of His Father, and by grace the Holy Spirit perfects this same love in us who bear the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

8. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Your testimonies are righteous forever; give us understanding of Your grace so that we may live on this earth with the love You have shown us. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Summer Worship Schedule

We have moved our Worship Service to 9:30 am on Sunday mornings.

Please join us in worshipping Jesus our Christ.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Romans 11,33-36. The Feast of the Holy Trinity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Romans 11,33-36 3116

Tag der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit (Trinitatis) 045

Constantine, Emperor, 337 ✠

22. Mai 2016

1. О Lord God, Heavenly Father: We poor sinners confess that no good thing dwells in our flesh, and that, left to ourselves, we die and perish in sin, since that which is born of the flesh is flesh and cannot see the reign of God. But we beseech You: Grant us Your grace and mercy, and for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, so that being regenerate, we may firmly believe the forgiveness of sins, according to Your promise in Holy Baptism; and that we may daily increase in brotherly love, and in other good works, until we at last obtain eternal salvation. Amen. (Veit Dietrich for Trinitatis).

2. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! »For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?« [Job 15,8; Isaiah 40,13] »Or who has given a gift to Him so that He might be repaid?« [Job 41,11] For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.

3. Trinity Sunday brings with it the Athanasian Creed and thoughts about the Trinity. If you look through the pages of the Bible, you will not find the word „trinity“ in the Holy Scriptures. While the word may not be found in the Bible, the concept and the doctrine of the Trinity is woven into the complex and beautiful tapestry of the Holy Scriptures.

4. We catch a glimpse of the Holy Trinity in the Apostle Paul’s prayer we heard in today’s Second Reading. He prays: »O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.« St. Paul lists three Divine attributes and parallels them with three Divine Prepositions.

5. The Athanasian Creed is much more verbose in its confession of the Holy Trinity, and it specifically deals with two doctrines about God:

1. The God we worship is the Triune God comprised of One God made up of Three Persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and

2. We worship Jesus who was incarnate of the virgin Mary, thus adoring Him as both God and man in one Person. (Athanasian Creed 15-16.25-28).

8. The Triune God is deep in riches, wisdom and knowledge. It goes without saying that the Almighty God is rich. All of creation is His handiwork from the artwork of the Milky Way Galaxy to the engineering of human DNA. God blesses us from the immenseness of His riches, and those blessings are merely a drop of water in the ocean to what God has available to Him at any moment. God is also wise. Human wisdom is obtained from years of study and experience. Wisdom is that which guides us when making decisions. Our wisdom is finite, but God’s wisdom is infinite. He understood the risk in giving mankind free will, a risk that involved the possibility that mankind might reject Him as God and strike out on their own path of apotheosis. He thus created human beings instead of androids because God want mankind to be more than sum of programs acting as they were written to act. God wanted humans to love, desire and strive for something more just as He does. God decided that the risk of mankind falling into sin was worth the freedom He gave us. We are still learning to comprehend the vast knowledge of creation, like genetics, F=ma and quantum physics. God knows all these things and much more. He created the natural laws and put them together to work seamlessly. God also has the knowledge of good and evil, but He forbade Adam and Eve to uncover the knowledge of evil. In His Divinity, God knows what evil is but He is not evil nor can He be corrupted by evil. Adam and Eve only had knowledge of good; they were forbidden to peer into the darkness of evil because they could not remain untainted with such knowledge. Since the Fall, we have had the knowledge of evil and we have never mastered that knowledge but more often have been enslaved by such knowledge to the great suffering of mankind throughout the ages.

6. But at the dawn of creation, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit counseled together and decided: »„Let Us make man in Our Image, after Our Likeness. And let them have dominion over ... all the earth.“ So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.« (Genesis 1,26-27.31). God knew that man would rebel against Him and seek the forbidden knowledge of evil, and still He created us with free will because He is does not fear the risk and He is more powerful than sin.

7. The Apostle Paul tells us in his Epistle to the Corinthians: »Christ is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men« (1. Corinthians 1,24-25). And like Job: »We know that You, O Lord, can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted« (Job 42,2). In Christ Jesus, »The Lord restored our fortunes, and the Lord gave us twice as much as we had before« (Job 42,10).

8. Yes, the Athanasian Creed boldly proclaims that salvation is grounded upon the confession that there is only One God who is comprised of the Persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Furthermore, this Second Person known as the Son of God is Jesus Christ, and He is the only way unto eternal life and salvation. In Christ alone are true riches, wisdom and knowledge. Jesus is God the Father’s response to fallen mankind.

9. »The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life, breath and everything. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being [Job 12,10]; as even some of your own poets have said: „For we are indeed his offspring.“ [Phaenomena 5]« (Acts 17,24-28).

10. We worship this Triune God who has worked out our redemption from all sin and brought us eternal life and salvation. God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ into this fallen world. The Son of God merited the world’s salvation by suffering, dying and rising again. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, speaks through the Prophetic and Apostolic Scriptures and through those Scriptures reminds us of all that Christ has done and said. In this we rejoice in the riches, wisdom and knowledge that is the Triune God’s Glory, a Glory He has revealed to us in Jesus, the Son of God. Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, You are worthy to be praised for Your mighty deeds; pour out upon us a rich measure of Your Glory so that we may with our finite wisdom and knowledge comprehend and fathom Your Divinity to the best of our human capability. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

All quotations from the Book of Concord are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche, 12. Edition © 1998 by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Acts 2,1-18. Pentecost

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Acts 2,1-18 3016

Pfingstsonntag 043

Rupert, Confessor in Mainz, 9. c.

Dympna, Virgin, Martyr in Gheel, Brabant, Netherlands 7. c.

15. Mai 2016

1. О Lord Jesus Christ, Almighty Son of God: We beseech You, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, through Your Word, so that He may rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune and defend us by Your truth against every error, so that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and all good works, and firmly trusting in Your grace, which through death You have purchased for us, obtain eternal salvation, You who reigns, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen. (Veit Dietrich for the Pentecost)

2. When the day of Pentecost arrived, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and restedon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying: „Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own languages the mighty works of God.“ And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another: „What does this mean?“ But others mocking said: „They are filled with new wine.“ But Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: „Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.But this is what was uttered through the Prophet Joel: »And in the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams; even on My male servantsand female servants in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they will prophesy.«“

3. In Genesis 11 we read: »Now after the Flood the whole earth had one language. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Then they said: „Let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.“ And the Lord went down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said: „Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Let us go down and confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.“ So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city and the tower.« (Genesis 11,1-2.4-8).

4. When we examine the diverse cultures and languages of mankind, we find some similarities. Most cultures have myths and stories explaining man’s fall from God’s presence. Most have a Flood story and tell how God preserved a few human survivors. Mankind has been trying to get reconciled with God since eating the forbidden fruit. Unfortunately, man’s attempt at religion is twisted and perverted into works we must accomplish in order to reconcile ourselves with God. Our religiosity has not advanced much farther than Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves. Our sin is too great and numerous to be paid off by paltry attempts at works righteousness. Nor do we seriously consider what God demands for our sin and reconciliation.

5. The Prophets proclaim:

»He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God« (Micah 6,8).

»The person who sins shall die« (Ezekiel 18,20).

»For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for it is the blood lambs, goats and bulls that make atonement by the life.« (Leviticus 17,11).

6. We cannot secure our own justification, but Jesus has done what His Father requires for reconciliation. The Gospels and Epistles proclaim:

»Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know« (Acts 2,22).

»Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree [Deuteronomy 21,23], so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith« (Galatians 3,13-14).

»The next day John the Baptizer saw Jesus walking toward him, and said: „Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!“« (John 1,29).

7. In Genesis 11 man desired to build a tower, make their name legendary and ascend into heaven to draw near to God. In Acts 2 God descended from heaven to draw near to man, save them and build His Church on earth. Today we heard from Acts 2: »And the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.«

8. Jesus has fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, and this was the proclamation Peter and the disciples preached on Pentecost 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection. They preached this gospel Jews from across the Roman Empire, Jews whose native language was not Aramaic, but Greek, Latin, Arabic and other languages. The gospel was first preached to the Jews, but Jews from many different nations, and then the Holy Spirit sent disciples and apostles to the nations to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. The first post-ressurection Feast of Pentecost began the undoing of God’s curse at Babel. Now languages were not a means to keep mankind from working together in order to barge into God’s presence; at Pentecost God used mankind’s languages to preach Christ and Him crucified.

9. St. Luke the Evangelist records for us one of the sermons the apostles preached on the first new testament Day of Pentecost: »Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the Patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that He would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself« (Acts 2,22-24.29-33.36.38-39).

10. May we, like those first Pentecost believers, devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching through the preached Word, gathering each Sunday for fellowship, partaking of the breaking of the bread in Holy Communion and the public prayers (Acts 2,42). May the Holy Spirit pour out upon us His blessing: adding to our number those who are being saved (Acts 2,47). Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, You send forth Your Spiritso that faith is created and renewed. Draw near, Holy Spirit, to fill the hearts of Your faithful and ignite in us the fire of Your Divine love. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Acts 1,3-11. Christ's Ascension

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Acts 1,3-11 2916

Exaudi (Christi Himmelfahrt transferred) 042

Victor the Moor, Martyr at Milan, Italy 303

8. Mai 2016

1. O Jesus Christ, Thou Almighty Son of God, who is no longer in humiliation here on earth, but is seated at the right hand of Your Father, Lord over all things: We beseech You, send us Your Holy Spirit; give Your Church pious pastors, preserve Your Word, control and restrain the devil and all who would oppress us; mightily uphold Your reign, until all Your enemies shall have been put under Your feet, so that we may hold the victory over sin, death and the devil, through You, who lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, One True God, world without end. Amen. (Veit Dietrich for Christi Himmelfahrt).

2. To the apostles Jesus presented Himself alive after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the reign of God. And while stayingwith them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said: „You heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized withthe Holy Spirit not many days from now.“ ⁶So when they had come together, they asked Him: „Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?“ ⁷He said to them: „It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has descended upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.“ ⁹And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. ¹⁰And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, ¹¹and said: „Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.“

3. This morning we celebrate Christ’s ascension, which is a transition from the forty days of resurrection appearances and teachings to the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Christ’s ascension is the culminating fulfillment of His Heavenly Father’s will as found in the Holy Scriptures, namely that the Christ must suffer and rise again. The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms all speak of this ministry that Christ undertook, for Jesus arrived upon this earth to redeem us back to God the Father. With the actual redemptive act completed, He then returned to heaven.

4. So important is His ascension, that our church prominently portrays this event in a large stained glass window above the narthex doors. In this stained glass window, Christ’s ascension is majestically portrayed as Jesus ascends into heaven to be seated at His Heavenly Father’s right hand, which is the place of Divine power and authority. Every earthly and spiritual power must yield to Christ. The wealthiest people on earth and the most majestic angels must kneel at His feet. Christ has no creaturely equal or superior; He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

5. St. Luke the Evangelist tells us that two angels appeared to the apostles and told them: »This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.« Jesus’ ascension happened at the town of Bethany, which is 1.5 miles east of Jerusalem. This was the hometown of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha.

6. But what is the importance of Christ’s ascension 40 days after Easter Sunday? We confess in the Apostles’ Creed:

I. He ascended into heaven

II. and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

III. From thence He will return to judge the living and the dead.

The Psalmist reminds us in today’s Introit: »God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne« (Psalm 47,8). And again the Psalmist: »The Lord says to my Lord: Be seated at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool« (Psalm 110,1). And also the Apostle Paul proclaims in his epistle: »Therefore God has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father« (Philippians 2,9-11).

7. The Apostle Paul furthermore told the Corinthian Christians in his epistle: »For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what he has done in the body, whether good or evil« (2. Corinthians 5,9). This is the final judgment where all the world stands before Christ on His throne: the Christian believers are separated from the wicked; the faithful enter into eternal life, and the unbelievers enter into eternal separation from God. But this judgment is not one of condemnation for Christians. St. Paul continues: »Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has arrived. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them. For our sake God made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God« (2. Corinthians 5,17-19.21). »Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus« (Romans 8,1).

8. Yes, Jesus rides forth to conquer sin, death and hades like a victorious warlord, but He rules His creation as a kindly prince. As Jesus ascended into heaven, so will He descend to earth on the last day to gather His Christian people into everlasting fellowship with Him. God the Father has made this crucified and risen Jesus both Lord and Christ (Acts 2,36).

9. „The ascension does not mean that Jesus has gone away. Quite the opposite. He is with us now even more powerfully than when men saw Him. We live, then, in the presence of our ascended, ever-present Lord. Because He is with us, we cannot be destroyed. Jesus has made the way to victory for us. He leads us that way, gives us strength and courage for it, and finally brings us to the bright cloud of heaven. We go on, then, from the ascension as did the first disciples “with great joy” (Luke 24:52)“ (Nagel 146 ¶ 8). For we have His promise: I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28,20); I go and prepare a place for you, I will return and take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also (John 14,3). Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, You are exalted at the right hand of Your Father as the Lord: valiantly extend Your right hand so that we are preserved in the true Christian faith unto eternal life. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

Monday, May 2, 2016

1. Timothy 2,1-6. Rotate

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

1. Timothy 2,1-6 2816

Rogate 040

Philip and James, Apostles, Martyrs in Hierapolis, Turkey 80 and in Jerusalem 66
Walburgis, Virgin, Abbess, ✠ 779

1. May 2016

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who through Your Son did promise us so that whatsoever we ask in His Name You will give us: We beseech You, keep us in Your Word, and grant us Your Holy Spirit, so that He may govern us according to Your will; protect us from the power of the devil, from false doctrine and worship; also defend our lives against all danger; grant us Your blessing and peace, so that we may in all things perceive Your merciful help, and both now and forever praise and glorify You as our Gracious Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One True God, world without end. Amen. (Veit Dietrich for the Rogate)

2. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to arrive at the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the manChrist Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

3. Jesus told the apostles on Maundy Thursday: »In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world« (John 16,33). Jesus was not speaking about overthrowing the civil governments of the world in an enormous coup. Emperor Tiberius still sat comfortably on his throne in Rome and the next day his prefect, Pontius Pilate, would order Jesus executed as a seditionist against Roman rule.

4. We need to back up a few chapters in the Gospel according to John to understand what Jesus was teaching His apostles. Jesus said: »Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? „Father, save Me from this hour“? But for this purpose I have arrived at this hour. Father, glorify Your Name. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the prince of this world be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself« (John 12,27-28.31-32). »I will no longer talk much with you, for the prince of this world is arriving. He has no claim on Me« (John 14,30). »But when the Paraclete arrives, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning judgment, because the prince of this world is judged« (John 16,8.11). The Devil is the prince of this world (2. Corinthians 4,4), and he is a murderer and a liar who destroys and deceives mankind (John 8,44). Jesus has overcome the world and the prince of the world. Jesus won this victory through His death and resurrection. St. Paul tells us: »God desires all people to be saved and to arrive at the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the manChrist Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.« Thus Luther penned in his famous hymn: This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none, He’s judged; the deed is done; One little word can fell him.

5. The good news is that the Devil has been dethroned and our sin has been covered. But what about the civil princes of this world? In our American Republic we don't call our leaders princes, although they tend to act as monarchs in our lives. We have given our princes more democratic names, like congressman, president and judge. The Apostle Paul tells us to respect them and pray for them: »I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, Godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior«. Such exhortation is needed as we are in the midst of tense political primaries, and even more as our national elections in November promise to be even more hotly debated in some time.

6. But our politicians can only demand our respect and allegiance in the civil realm. The First Amendment in our Constitution grants us protection from the federal government in regards to religion and speech. No prince or politician may coerce us in what we believe, think or say. This Amendment can trace its pedigree back to the New Testament. St. Luke writes in Acts: »And when the temple guards had brought the apostles, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying: „We strictly charged you not to teach in the name of Jesus, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.“ But Peter and the apostles answered: „We must obey God rather than men, for God exalted Jesus at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.“« (Acts 5,27-29.31).

7. This gospel is offensive; it violates people’s safe space. The Scriptures clearly mark out boundaries, call sin a sin and promise forgiveness to anyone who believes on Jesus, and only Jesus. The world does not tolerate the exclusive claims of the Christian faith. Our nation is becoming more and more intolerant of Christianity and the gospel. Americans want a safe, sanitized, politically correct Jesus that they can mold into supporting whatever the popular activist cause is at the moment. Bernie Sanders wants a Socialist Jesus. Hilary Clinton wants a Pro-Choice Jesus. Ted Cruz wants a Dominionist Jesus. Donald Trump wants a Prosperity Jesus. But Jesus is not bound to the political whims of our political leaders. Jesus is not a tame God (Lewis lww 182). He will not be made the spokesman for every movement social justice warriors think is important.

8. Many politicians co-opt Jesus to their political causes. This is why we need to pray for our leaders: so that they would not try to force Jesus into the agenda but that they would be good and wise leaders who do what is helpful for people even if that means supporting or not supporting what conventional wisdom says are important issues of the day. We pray that they would not demonize those who have a different opinion than theirs. We pray that God the Father gives them wisdom and guidance as they perform the duties they have been elected to carry out. We pray that we may live a peaceful, quiet life that is Godly and dignified in every way. We pray that God the Father bless our nation, our leaders and that we would protect the innocent, those without a voice and those who are in need of food, clothing and shelter. Jesus reminds us that God the Father makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. (Matthew 5,45).

9. Our Lord does not tolerate earthly princes who seek to impose themselves as saviors of the world in place of the true Savior. Jesus dethroned the very Devil who proclaimed himself the prince of this world, and Jesus will humble all earthly princes who attempt to usurp lordship in people’s lives. Jesus will also strengthen those who seek after Him and desire to help others out of love for Him. May Jesus bless us with faithful leaders who have the Christian faith, but remember that their they are civil servants and not ecclesiastical ministers. May Jesus bless us with faithful bishops and ministers who preach the Gospel purely and administer His Sacraments rightly so that people may be blessed spiritually. Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who does not reject our prayers or remove His steadfast love from, teach us to remember that You have risen indeed, and have appeared to Simon so that our faith in Your resurrection is strengthened. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

1. John 4,16-21. 1. Sunday after Trinity

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Summer Worship Schedule

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Romans 11,33-36. The Feast of the Holy Trinity

Monday, May 16, 2016

Acts 2,1-18. Pentecost

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Acts 1,3-11. Christ's Ascension

Monday, May 2, 2016

1. Timothy 2,1-6. Rotate