Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

 In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (6:10-20), he instructs them to “Put on the whole armor of God…” Hmmmm, I was struck by this order and excited by the words that follow this admonition. 

He goes on to explain that by wearing the whole armor of God, we can stand against the “schemes of the devil.” Isn’t it so? The devil plagues not only the world, but our own personal lives. The devil is the trickster that deceives us into believing that our lives should be lived in ways that are not always in accordance with God’s will for us. The devil wants to be God and will do anything he can to bring us to the same desire. 

Do we concede? Do we take off our defensive armor given to us by God, who loves you unconditionally, and give the devil his due?  

Don’t! Keep that armor in place and remember that God always has your back. God wants you to be happy joyous and free! It may seem that at times this is an impossible feat, but it will happen. With this armor of God, one that does not weigh you down and keep you imprisoned in hate, you will flourish in ways that cannot be imagined.  

Give it a try. Turn your will and your life over to the care and protection of God and see what happens. Also, read Paul’s letter to the people of Ephesus which he wrote to them in chains-from jail. He had his armor of God in place. Do you? 

Terri 

Jesus frequently asked questions. I count 30 questions in the first eight chapters of Mark alone. Occasionally, the question is only to gain information, like when Jesus asks a blind man if he can see anything while he heals the man. Often Jesus poses questions to thwart the scribes or Pharisees when they are challenging him like the time they say that he casts out demons by Beelzebul and Jesus asks, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” Sometimes Jesus puts a question to his disciples as a rebuke as when he asks them, “Do you not yet understand?”

But then there are the curious questions that I think are posed to us as well as the persons in the narrative. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:16). What does it matter what a person calls Jesus? Everything!

In the Gospel of Matthew the only person who calls Jesus Rabbi, is Judas. The only persons who call Jesus Teacher are his opponents or someone who doesn’t do what Jesus tells him. In other words those people who see Jesus only as a teacher have got him wrong. On the other hand, Peter calls him the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus in turn says Peter is blessed because he calls him this.

So the question is put to us. “Who do you say that I am?” What do we answer and what does that answer mean to us? What would it mean for us to call him Lord for example.

Think about Jesus’ questions.

Read Matthew 16:13-19 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Did you first learn those words from reading comic books?

They are resurfacing on all the current movies about superheroes, transformers, bigger-than-life comic heroes on the mega screen for all to view.

I fantasize that these “power” words were first used by God during His creation frenzy. ZAP and the oceans roared over the earth. KA-POW the animals are now roving, running and checking out their new surroundings.

We may not use those words but the amazement and awe are the same when we are presented with our newborn, or a precious grandchild to just rock and cherish. Our first raise or promotion at a job we love; perhaps holding our well-earned diploma in our hands. The mountain top experiences of our lives are punctuated with these onomatopoeias: “Words that imitate a sound.”

We are not permanent dwellers of mountain top experiences. The reality is we wander through dark valleys sometimes, knowing those ZING BLAST ZAP occurrences will reoccur. It is God who leads us through the valley. If we put our trust in Him, He will lead us and bring us to His powerful KA-POW blessings.

The 23rd Psalm is a reminder we may have memorized from our youth, or heard over and over again as we grew. I will fear no evil because my God is with me. As we learn lessons in this life and move from valley to mountain, unconditional love from our creator is KA-POW to-the-max!

Originally posted by Jill in September 2018

I remember my Confirmation days so well because they were every Saturday for two years. Really? Give up our Saturdays? Yes, we did. The bonuses were we learned, we bonded, we studied, we survived. Our Luther League Youth Group was the BEST! During confirmation classes we were introduced to The Good News Bible. The premise was it was easier to understand than the King James Version of the Bible.

When I married and was raising my children I used, read and marked up The Living Bible. It read like a newspaper. It is rather dog-eared and well used but on my bedside table still. Now I have an app that allows me to compare many versions of the Bible. Sometimes I find The Message version quite succinct.

Psalm 139 is a favorite of mine. Specifically v 13-16 from The Message:

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God ¬you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration, ¬what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.”

Does my best friend of 40+ years really know me? Do my children know me? Does my spouse who I can be “me” around, really know me? Trust me, the answer is no.

God who formed you and knows you inside and out and made you bit by bit is the only one who really KNOWS you. Before you speak the words or form the thought, He knows. If this psalm explanation of your creation isn’t wonderful enough, just add the fact that He loves you unconditionally. We are created, molded, formed, born, guided, watched over, and loved. Wow! God is good. We are blessed. Thank Him for YOU!

Originally posted by Jill in August 2018

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30, ASV

Labor Day meant a long weekend.  Remember when that was a big treat?  Three days off from work!  Of course, that was before we retired, and life shifted into one long weekend.  Well, it looked that way, but something changed on the way into retirement.   We still volunteer. we care for our homes, and the biggie – we visit the doctor(s).  Each task takes us longer; each task is more tiring, physically we’re burdened with more aches and pains.   I should just speak for myself, but I’m old.   It’s a shame that retirement is wasted on those too old to fully enjoy it. 

Jesus words in Matthew are so pertinent here. Come all ye that are heavy laden.  Take my yoke.  My  yoke is easy.  I used to think that this verse was strange.  After all, if we’re already heavy laden and now Jesus tells us to take on another yoke, how is this a good thing?  After all, a farmer puts a yoke on his oxen so they can pull a heavy load.  But Jesus’ yoke is easy.  When we put on “his yoke” we give him control of our life.  He will lead and direct us.  His yoke is gentle, and he shares the burden with us.  What more could we ask than to have Jesus himself right beside us, pulling on the yoke with much more strength than we will ever have.   Your God who loves you with an unconditional love, will give you rest.

Judy

What do you consider to be a pleasantry?  Perhaps hearing, “good morning,”  “what a beautiful day,”  “what a nice car…I love your bracelet…cute little toddler….” We are all aware of these brief greetings and pleasant words. Proverbs 16:24 states, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” The flip side of pleasantries would be mean-spirited words, angry words, unkind confrontations and thoughtless opinions.   If you are the one speaking, pray for wisdom and give thought to your words.  If you are the recipient and vile, hurtful words are slung at you, remember Proverbs 19:11 “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” Is this easy to do? Not usually!  If you have been on the receiving end of unkind, hurtful words aimed at you, trying to overlook the other person’s shortcoming is difficult at best. Instead, lean into our Lord, who loves you so unconditionally, to guide your response.  Even better, send a quick prayer to our Lord asking Him to bless the offender.  Eeks, egads….that’s a tough one! The last thing most of us want to do is return meanness with a smile, or for that matter, ask our Lord to bless the deliverer of the mean-spiritedness.

Focus your thoughts and reactions on goodness.  Don’t buy into the negativity that landed on you. Instead do as the Bible says, allow your words and thoughts to pour over you like a honeycomb, providing sweetness to your soul and health to your body. Do not become a victim. Beauty fills the world, therefore, do not allow meanness to envelope you.  Send out those blessings.  Smile.  Work on forgiveness. Your mind and body will thank you.

Jill

I have done a lot of golfing in my life, mostly for fun with friends or family, but also in leagues and tournaments.  I am not a great golfer by any stretch of the imagination, (and would probably be rated as below average if the truth be told) but I enjoy it and every now and then I have a good drive, chip or putt that keeps me coming back for more. One thing I was always grateful for when playing golf however, were “mulligans.”  For those of you who do not know, in golf, a mulligan is basically a “do-over.”  It is a shot that is allowed to be played over without penalty, as if the first shot had never been taken.

The idea of getting a second chance is such a big deal, there are many quotes that talk about it. Examples of these are the following:

• If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. (William Edward Hickson)
• Every moment in your life is a second chance. (Rick Price)
• A second chance doesn’t mean anything if you don’t learn from the first. (Anurag Prakash Ray)
• If anyone is gracious enough to give me a second chance, I won’t need a third. (Pete Rose)

If we think about the “mulligans” we have been given in our lives, I’m sure we can think of many. How often have we been blessed with a second chance or a do-over?

I think I know of the greatest and most important example of this blessing. We are given that second chance every day through God’s unconditional love for us.  We read in Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In Roman’s 5:8 we are given these words as a second chance to cleanse our sins. But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The chance to live eternally with God just by believing and accepting Him and giving our lives over to Him is the most wonderful opportunity we will ever have. Our sins are forgiven by this simple and sincere act. That is the “mulligan” He has offered to us each and every day of our lives.  Thanks be to God!

Patty

(Originally posted on July 22, 2022, but noted that the weather is repeating itself here in Vermont and the Holy Spirit is still with me!) 

We have had several very windy days here at camp. The wind has howled without ceasing day and night for about a week. The sun has shown in a bright blue sky and rain has raged through the gloom of a storm.  All the while, the constant has been the relentless wind. 

During this Pentecostal season, the howling or the gentle wind is an illustrative reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. The Counselor, the Guide, the Comforter-all beautiful words describing God in my life as the loving presence that He is. 

Wind is an interesting weather phenomenon. It can be scary and destructive. It can be helpful or hurtful. It can be light and caressing. It can heat and it can cool. Just like God. While I cannot see the wind, I can see it’s effect all around me in the trees, the flowers, the grass and over the water of the lake. It is almost like seeing God in action. God in relentless action. 

Rather than finding the wind disquieting, I find it a comforting reminder that God is with me every moment of every day, through good times and bad. I can turn my thoughts to God at any time and ask for guidance or give a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for all that I have. 

I see the Holy Spirit as a relentless wind that blows though the world hovering to help, to cure, to save, to love. To love unconditionally. 

 Always remember that God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love you unconditionally. Feel the wind in your face or at your back and know that you are being hugged by God. 

Terri 

Read John 3:8 

I was in Burger King one evening when two men waiting in line started shouting religious slogans, I guess with the intention of converting the heathen diners into Christians. The problem  was a lot of their slogans were directed against other Christians. “Water baptism avails nothing,” one man yelled. I’ve run into this before. Some Christians just can’t believe God works through created means like Baptism and Holy Communion. I don’t argue with them. I just feel sorry that some people have such a narrow view of what God can do.

Here are a few bits from Luther’s Small Catechism about Baptism.

What benefits does Baptism give?
It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

How can water do such great things?
Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a lifegiving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit . . .

I take confidence in this teaching because it puts the emphasis on what God does, not us. I can always count on God. Myself? Not so much.

“Are you saved?” they ask. I answer unequivocally, “YES!” Salvation is God’s free gift in Jesus Christ. Thank God!

Read Titus 3:5-18 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally (for real).

Wayne

While brainstorming ideas for upcoming blogs, my son Seth volunteered the following: “We need more kindness, Mom. We need to live the Word, not just talk about it. We need to set our own personal example of good behavior and follow it.”

Perhaps I should explain. Seth is not particularly religious, but he has cultivated a spiritual life which gives him comfort and strength. He considers Jesus to be a friend and genuinely values the teachings that He left for us to follow. He has done battle with me on numerous occasions about the predicament that varied organized religions have created for their followers and observers. I agree with him on many points of his arguments.

However, his willingness to share this simple, straight-forward paradigm for living struck me with its sincerity and ease of application. He wasn’t being flip or sarcastic, but honest and helpful. This is his belief, set against the background of many years of religious training in school, college and church. He has distilled a working philosophy which can be applied universally without complicated debate about dogma; without a victor; without anger.

Isn’t this exactly what our Creator God instructs us to do? Love one another; be kind and helpful. Don’t hurt each other. Reach out your hand in love and assistance. Live the word of God, don’t just talk about it. There are many straight forward concepts which don’t take any training to implement immediately. Feed the poor; shelter the homeless; treat the stranger like Christ.

A special thanks to Seth for today’s thoughts. It is wonderful to watch him apply this philosophy to his own life. The wonder of this joy continues everyday thanks to the grace and love which I receive unconditionally from our eternal God. It is yours also; receive and cherish these blessings and this grace from our God who loves you unconditionally. Read Titus 3:4-7 and be assured once again of this eternal promise.

Terri originally posted this in August 2018