January 2025
To Be a Berean
“…Berea … received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed…” (Acts 17:10-12).
This occurred halfway through Paul’s Second Missionary Journey in about 51 AD, sixteen years after Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. Paul’s companion at this time was Silas, and they had just been in Thessalonica which had some “jealous” Jews (Acts 17:5) who became aggressive, so Paul and Silas were sent on to Berea. Luke reports that the Jews in Berea “were more noble” as “they received the Word.”
The last fifty plus years had been impacting for all people of all ages and adventuresome for the faithful people. Matthew’s Gospel was written close 50 AD with Mark’s Gospel soon after, Luke’s Gospel five to ten years later, and John’s Gospel about 90 A.D. (Note: there is much discussion on dates the Gospels were written but my studies lead me to these earlier dates with Matthew’s written first.) With no New Testament documents available to examine, the Bereans were using the Old Testament Scriptures to see how and if what Paul was preaching was in accord.
We, in the twenty-first century, have oodles of varying things proclaimed about spirituality, Jesus, His saving work, and our responsibilities, even with the inspired Word of God in four Gospels and twenty-three other epistles (letters). If Christians today have difficulty with concord (agreement) with all this information, imagine the variety of things that were being said about Jesus for the years of His ministry and the twenty some years before the first New Testament books were being used. I imagine the impact of Jesus, His teachings, and His works would have been a regular topic of discussion, yet there was likely many partial truths and untruths being shared.
In this environment, the Bereans developed a practice to examine Old Testament Scripture. There were likely frauds around with stories that Jewish leaders had circulated: Jesus died, and His body was placed in a tomb, but His disciples came and stole the body (Matthew 28:13). Or when you follow me and provide for my ministry with wealth you will surely be with Christ forever (1 Timothy 6:3-10, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Variations of the above false teachings still circulate today, even with so much more to examine. There are concepts that are not in accord with Scripture that have caused the formation of many denominations and non-denominational churches. The most common issues are with the very things Christ instituted to distribute His grace of the forgiveness of sins—the Sacraments. Some bodies of believers make human-created laws on quantity of water for baptism and a certain cognitive ability to define one’s faith before being baptized. Search the Scriptures and you will find that baptism is a washing with water (no specific amount) that has the words “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” as Christ directed (Matthew 28:18-20). We shall not add to what Christ instituted.
In the Lord’s Supper, some take Christ’s Words “this is” and change them to mean “this represents.” We shall not change Christ’s Word to fit our limited ability to comprehend.
Enjoy examining Scripture to see if what I proclaim is so. I also enjoy examining Scriptures with you concerning what is proclaimed or your specific questions.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
December 2024
With My Mind
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind, but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin” (Romans 7:25).
This is the Biblical response to Jesus Christ saving us, i.e. “delivering us from this body of death” (Romans 7:24b).
Thank you for bearing with my affliction of the ruptured aneurysm in my spinal cord on July 7th. I am thankful that most of my movement has been restored. I am able, with much concentration, to skip, and I am within one minute of a set course that previously took me twenty-one minutes to jog. Here I am, skipping, jogging, coaching (with modifications) the whole football season. Praise God for this recovery so far. I am excited to see if further recovery is in store.
I am using this physical report on myself as an illustration of to “serve the law of God with my mind--that would be God’s natural law of muscles and joints for movement which physical therapists and trainers have utilized in their profession to help people. I wrote “with much concentration” and “with modifications” above. Most movement of my left leg requires “much concentration” to be done “with modifications.” To stand, walk, turn…all involve more concentration than previously. My right leg does not require concentration. It is more just thinking about it a little and the movement happens. Our mind is a valuable tool to serve the natural law of God for movement and much more.
I have demonstrated to some people what I would walk like if I walked how I felt.
That is a normal step with my right leg and then a swinging forward of a stiff left leg--a gate that I witness by injured athletes or have seen in the movies by a person with a wounded leg. There is no other option for the injured athletes or wounded person; however, my muscles and joints are fine. I do have an option. I am mentally engaged in coordinating the movement. I should not settle into the default mode of letting my “flesh” be in charge. The allowing of such fleshly movement would hurt my musculature, joints, and overall wellbeing. I basically use my mind to override my fleshly desire.
Applied to godly living, we serve the law of God with our minds. Our fleshly body is naturally bent to sin. Our flesh, by nature, will serve the law of sin. Apply this to what our eyes see, our ears hear, our hands touch, and the way we use language and time as well as the multitude of options for all facets of life to be godly or sinful.
There are some facets of my left leg movement that do not require as much concentration as it did in August. With consistent concentration, eventually it became the norm. I have awareness of a tendency to revert and periodic attention to the movement is beneficial. There are some facets of living a godly life that are well-engrained in us because it has been practiced regularly, and this godly way of life has overridden the fleshly way. May we periodically realize the tendency to revert and receive God’s provisions in His Word and Sacraments.
Brothers and sisters, it is worth the effort to have concentrated effort to live the sanctified (holy) life. Our bentness is still there; however, further damage to us and others can be overridden by “serving the law of God with (our) mind.”
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
November 2024
Thankfulness for Going Through Water
“…God’s patience waited in the day of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you…” (1 Peter 3:20b-22a).
In this passage of Holy Scripture, “The Flood” of Noah is applied to baptism. In “The Flood,” God’s judgment is administered to a wicked world, so wicked that “The Lord was sorry that He made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart” (Genesis 6:6).
In the verses from 1 Peter, we see the positive side of God’s judgment of being “brought safely through the water. Baptism…now saves you.”
In Genesis chapter seven, in which “The Flood” is raging, we read: “The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered…Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died” (Genesis 7:17-18, 22).
Try to empathize with those eight people who were on the ark. On the positive side, there would be thanksgiving. The ark was floating, and they were on it. They had been warned in time to build the ark, and they had listened to God and believed Him—others had not. Thanks be to God! So there was thankfulness as they were within a structure the Lord had established and even had them involved in the process of building. They were alive and were able to anticipate emerging with a new life.
There would also be confusion along with anxiety; these were at least two of the troubling thoughts before them. Confusion arose from living with all those critters on the ark with them; some they were likely seeing for the first time. Confusion came from the water: where did it all come from? Will there always be this much? Can this ark be directed where to go? You can likely add to that list. Anxiety was bound to be on their minds as well concerning the unknown: What is coming next? And cost certainly there was anxiety about those people who did not heed God’s Word.
As you have being reading this article so far, you might have been grasping how I am going to apply this empathizing with baptism. Baptism is part of making disciples of all nations. Disciples belong to the church and are those called out of the world to be in God’s kingdom of grace. It is through the church that God specifically distributes His grace of the forgiveness of sins in the Word and Sacraments. (The Greek word for Church is ecclesia: ek= out and kaleo= to call.) In baptism we receive God’s Word joined with the water that joins us to Jesus Christ in His death and His resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). Lord, grant us willing ears and hearts to continually hear His call and to receive what God has to offer in His church—the forgiveness of sins.
Yes, there will be some confusion and anxiety in the church. We are presently in a fallen-in-sin world with our own bent nature, which are intense problems. This is amplified as the devil works his deceptive lies. Throughout the challenges, may we, the called people, nourish thoughts of thanksgiving for the new life in baptism as we will emerge to live with God, and His faithful, forevermore.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
October 2024
Appreciated or Scoffed At
“Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23)
In the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, divine payment for all sin was paid. Sin is waywardness from God--His ways, His Word--and sin has a tragic consequence. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). Jesus’ crucifixion is a bloody ordeal that atones for sin of thought, word, and/or deed, and our bent sinful condition. “Worthy is the Lamb,” Jesus, Second Person of the Trinity, given by the Father, First Person of the Trinity, “that whoever believes in Him (most specifically in Jesus’ death and resurrection) should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This is “a stumbling block” to some and “folly” to others. Praise God for the consistent message of the church to “preach Christ crucified,” for the Holy Spirit works through those words to ignite and sustain faith.
In the rest this article, I will apply the “stumbling block or folly” response to the Ten Commandments. Well, not all Ten because the natural man has many complimentary laws and societal pressures to adhere to the Second Table like honor authority, do not murder, live a sexually chaste life, do not steal, do not tell lies, and appreciate what you have. These can be reasoned out by the natural man, including those who pay no attention to Scriptures. There are rewards for those who fulfill part of those standards and punishments for those who violate them. Jesus summarized this Second Table of the Law with “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:32). Christians are enriched further with applications of each of the last seven commands by seeking the good of others. May mankind continue to strive after the Second Table of the Commandments.
Jesus summarized the First Table with, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Yet, these Commandments can be seen as a “stumbling block or folly” to those without faith in Jesus Christ. For example, the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods” could elicit a stumbling block or folly response like “We have our god, you have yours. You Christians are so exclusive!” Or, “Seriously, look at the plurality of spiritual systems found throughout history; thinking your way is the only way is foolish.”
The Second Commandment states: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.” Stumbling block thoughts include, “But throwing in the name of the Lord makes my statement (or sometimes lie) believable and/or gives me status as a big shot.”
The Third Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath Day be keeping it holy.” Stumbling block or folly thoughts include, “That is the only free day for me to rest and recreate.” Or, “Going, giving, and being with those people is a waste of time and money.”
The rationale of worldly ways does little honor to First Table. Christians are to live peacefully with fellow humans through adhering to the Second Table of the Ten Commandments, yet Christians shall strive even harder to live with God in His holiness by adhering to the First Table of the Ten Commandments. Stumbling block or foolish to some of this world but surely not in everlasting life. Praise Christ the crucified for His forgiveness because we do not, will not, keep the commandments perfectly.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
September 2024
Do Not Listen!
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:16)
The human experience has many concepts that are after our attention--worldly concepts that appeal to our flesh for comfort, pleasure, and enjoyment and many of them within God’s will. He desires us to have those benefits. May we appreciate and enhance those accommodations, pursuits, and hobbies; keeping them properly balanced. There are also demonic traps that are before us that often have hidden deceptions. Remember Satan’s deception (straight out lying) to Eve, which led Eve to perceiving that the fruit from the forbidden tree “was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desired to make one wise.” (Genesis 3:6). We ask for God’s protection from those lies as they “come to you in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15).
This article is following through on last month’s newsletter article in which I said I had more to say on Jeremiah 23. During the Inland Empire Spring Pastors’ Conference, I presented a devotion on Jeremiah 23:16-17. Therein are words of stern warning to all Christians who have the role of prophet, that is, applying God’s Word to others and ourselves. This role is amplified for pastors and other church workers.
Jeremiah gave two examples of “vain hopes” that we are “not to listen to.” First: “They say continually to those who despise the Word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’” (Jeremiah 23:17a). There are a great multitude of ways mankind has practiced despising the Word of the Lord and then justified themselves in thinking that it doesn’t apply to them. They think, “I pray regularly, I have my Bible time, I am a spiritual person…” etc. While these are all good endeavors that a Christian should pursue, mankind’s bent-to-sin nature can have our prayer life be self-talk in which God’s Word is neglected. Or a person might have their Bible time that ends up being egocentric, avoiding challenges leading to what Paul warned of when “people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers [prophets that are not to be listened to] to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). As for being a spiritual person, we are to remember that there is evil spirituality as well, demons and many negative components, that are after us.
Jeremiah’s second example is “to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you’” (Jeremiah 23:17b). We are warned that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). Our bent-to-sin heart will take delight in thoughts, behaviors, and actions that are against God’s will. We are not to listen to “prophets” who encourage us to follow our hearts.
The false “prophets” that Jeremiah warns us about take the easy route, affirming people. It is not easy to be the “heavy” by challenging others; they might avoid, reject, and criticize us. They could be family, friends, church members, people close to us. We are called to truly care for their everlasting life, helping them hold God’s Word sacred and gladly hear and learn it, following the Lord Jesus Christ rather than our bent hearts.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
August 2024
In Your Courts
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10)
On July 21st I was again gathered in the court of the Lord with other faithful souls. There was so much to say, but I did not have the time or energy. However, I did share “The one thing I do want to say is, ‘For a day in Your courts (I think I said house) is better than a thousand elsewhere.’” Dear souls present that Sunday are witnesses who can testify that this was an emotional experience for me.
So how did I get to this point? Two weeks earlier, July 7th, I was able to finish the sermon, yet then had to sit down and have the elders close the Service. I left church in an ambulance, to the emergency room, then flown to Boise with an aneurysm (ruptured blood vessel) in my spinal column. Surgery ensued the next day. I am now in a recovery process of encouraging the nervous system (left side chest down) to get in tune with the muscles and to stabilize.
The July 14th manifestation of the nervous system’s control of the digestive system was evident. Again, to the emergency room for 3-4 hours, as the elders graciously provided the Service at Faith Lutheran Church. I was unwillingly forced not to be in the court of the Lord!
July 21st, again the elders had a Service prepared, and I had stabilized enough to be at church, “in Your courts.” There was a blessing as Rev. Ken Bomberger pulled into town Saturday night to visit family. He offered to help in any way he could. He did a wonderful job with the liturgy and provided the Sacrament of the Altar-Holy Communion. Elders presented an appropriate sermon obtained from another LCMS pastor.
At the Service I received the Invocation (“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”), words used at your baptism and mine, members of God’s family, fully welcomed into His courts. I had the opportunity to be honest and confessed my sin in not living a perfect life, and was then quickly assured with the absolution, that through Christ’s work and what He established, I am forgiven. I listened to the three readings with thoughts on each: most especially the Jeremiah 23 reading. More to say on that later or you may ask sometime. I then received a wonderful exposition of God’s Word in the sermon. The concept was that God provides a feast as we journey through this present wilderness of sin. Then we celebrated a feast with Christ’s instituted Sacrament.
For your information, the second distribution hymn, LSB 719 “I Leave All Things to You Direction,” is a hymn that I have been committing to memory, and I had verse 1 and 3 memorized. While struggling the previous two weeks, verses 1 and 3 ran through my mind and were upon my lips numerous times. This gave me something to focus on other than my discomfort.
With this accounting of those two weeks, I think you can understand why I was led to share “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” I praise God to be able to write this article so soon, and I look forward to being in His courts with you.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
July 2024
Our Public Confession
Jesus said, “Whoever confesses Me before men, I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33).
Faith Lutheran was blessed with the confirmation of four people on June 16th. The above passage, along with Jesus’ Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20 are introductory passages as the candidates are prepared to make their public confession that is in our Lutheran Service Book (LSB) 272-273. There is great assurance and promise as Christ assures us that He is “with us always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) and that He will “confess (us) before His Father who is in heaven.”
The public confession has twelve questions. 1) We confess “the gifts given (us) in (our) baptism.” We then confess that we renounce 2) the devil, 3) his work, and 4) his ways. Cleared of Satan’s filth, we immediately confess the 5) Father, 6) Son, and 7) Holy Spirit with the Apostles’ Creed. We then confess 8) that the “Scriptures are the inspired Word of God.” These eight points are foundational for Christians. There are various denominations that do not use a Creed, nor teach the gifts of Baptism; they waver on renouncing the devil, and are weak in the Divine authority of God’s Word. Even yet, an engaging discussion using Scripture will have another Christian agreeing that these eight confessions are foundational.
We then 9) “confess the doctrine…drawn from Scripture, as (we) have learned to know it from (Luther’s) Small Catechism, to be faithful and true.” Thus far we have confessed what we know with “yes” and/or “I do.” The final three confessions concern what we intend to do with such knowledge. We are not in control of the future; we are vulnerable as “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), and we are bent to sin which means we can reject God, His ways, and our confession. We are in desperate need of Divine grace to be steadfast; therefore, these final three confessions are answered, “I do, by the grace of God.” They are 10) we “intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully,” 11) we “intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death,” and 12) we “intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it.” There is proper seriousness in our confession as we stake our life on the confession that Christ has given His life for us.
It is a blessing for a congregation to have periodic public confessions so that we share in the joy with God and his angels (Luke 15:10) along with those confessing. We also are given an opportunity to do a self-analysis. Please review the twelve questions in this article and/or use the LSB periodically to give an account of your discipleship.
God “desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). In our public confession, we confess His truth and intend to live our lives according to His truth. Praise God for the opportunity to make and live our confession knowing that Christ will be making His confession for each of us.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
June 2024
Let’s Go!
Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” (John 11:7).
[Scripture quotations from John with just the verse noted are in John chapter eleven.]
The above Scripture was when Lazarus was ill in Bethany of Judea, which is in southern Israel. Jesus and His disciples were in Galilee, northern Israel, a couple day’s walk away. The disciples pushed back on “Let us go to Judea again” (vs. 7) not because they didn’t want to walk, but because “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and You want to go there again?” (vs. 8). Jesus explained His intent to have His light shine brighter, but He still did not have any eager disciples. So “Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazurus has died, and for your sake, I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’” (vs. 14-15)
This was the second time Jesus said, “let us go,” and finally, this activated the bold disciple named Thomas to say, “Let us also go…”--bold and even uses Jesus’ own words applying them personally with “also.” Now hear his full statement, demonstrating great faith and boldness, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (vs. 16.)
Save the Second Coming occurring first, Christians will die with Lazarus. However, there was that faith-building account of the power of Jesus’ Word when He arrived at Bethany. Jesus, standing outside Lazurus’ tomb, “…cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazurus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth, Jesus said, ‘Unbind him; let him go’” (vs. 43-44). [Note how these last words of Jesus here apply to what Jesus has established for His church to regularly do in Matthew 16:16-19.]
With further investigation on the man Lazarus, we find that he died a regular death with his bodily remains on earth and his soul in God’s care. Lazarus’ temporary resurrection was a tool that Jesus and the Holy Spirit used to increase faith in the power of Jesus’ Word—“Lazurus, come out” (vs. 43). However, the ultimate truth is concerning the One whom Christians will die with—Jesus Christ, whose resurrection from the dead was not temporary. Jesus is reigning now and forevermore in His resurrected body.
When our time to die draws near, let us recognize it, as did King David who said, “I am about to go the way of all the earth” (1 Kings 2:2), and use Thomas’ bold statement of “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (vs. 16). With our Victor by our side, this will be a blessed end to our life in this fallen-in-sin world. It will also be a blessed beginning of life in heaven where we will eventually receive a resurrected body, like Christ’s, and be in the new heavens with a new earth with no sin.
Jesus said, “Let us go” (vs, 7) about things that were before Him and His disciples here in time. For that situation it was going to Judea to be amongst people who were not friendly to Him. “Let us go” (vs. 7) for those antagonists will not control what I am about to do, what is to be. Jesus was boldly going about His Father’s business. Therefore, “Let us also go” (vs, 16) about the Father’s, Son’s, and Holy Spirit’s business that strengthens us to have life to the full now and life forevermore.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
May 2024
Fan Into Flame
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you also. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…” (1 Timothy 1:6-7a).
Paul assures Timothy that he has faith and then encourages him to “fan into flame” that gift of faith from God. This analysis implies that Timothy’s faith could burn brighter. Progress in Timothy’s faith is encouraged. Timothy may have been overwhelmed and responded, “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24) as did as a dad with an afflicted son. However, Timothy did progress as a faithful Christian, so he would have been motivated to get details about increasing his faith.
To progress in any trait or task is not an immediate situation. There are many details and developments that need addressed. I have witnessed this for years in athletics. Athletes (me included) desire to improve in their physical performance. One instruction does not normally bring the very best lifetime performance on the next attempt. There is a breaking of the performance down into each component. I shall use shot putting as an example. There is the 1) placement of the shot in the hand, 2) placement of shot against the neck, 3) placement of both arms, 4) placement of both feet, 5) what body part initiates the put (throw), 6) details of getting across the ring, 7) details of finishing the put. Each component can be monitored, and feedback given. It is helpful to emphasize improvements. Athletes do well to operate with the Biblical mandate of “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13). The athlete benefits from focusing on their monitored progress with their technique and training.
Performance improvement will follow improved technique and diligent training. There is often that frustrating experience of lack of improvement due to new techniques not yet having their full effect, diligent training having the body not as fresh, or tougher competition that overshadows actual performance improvement. This is when even greater emphasis should be placed on their improvement.
To apply these concepts to the progress of a faithful Christian fanning into flame their faith, we shall go to “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). What has He told (commanded) us to do? 1) Hear His Word—John 5:24. 2) Abide in His Word—John 8:31. 3) Pray—Matthew 6:9ff. 4) Be baptized—Matthew 28:19. 5) “Take eat…drink” of His true body and blood in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine—Matthew 26:26ff, Mark 14:22ff, Luke 22:19ff, 1 Corinthians 11:24ff. I stop here for as with 6 and 7 above in shot-putting, there are details. There are many details for each of the five listed, and there are also many other aspects of Christianity that a Christian will do. Certainly, “Faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). Good works are bound to follow faith and even more so with faith fanned into flame. Be steadfast through the trials.
Be assured there is faith in you because you are reading this article. We can all have faith that burns more intensely. Enjoy the fanning into flame of your faith, and humbly appreciate God’s work for you and through you.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
April 2024
Christ’s Resurrection
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ… (Romans 8:16-17a).
The following is a portion of an Easter sermon by Martin Luther in 1525.
“…Christ Himself pointed out the benefit of His suffering and resurrection when He said to the women in Matthew 28:10, ‘Fear not; go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and they shall see Me.’ These are the very first words they heard from Christ after His resurrection from the dead, by which He confirmed all the former utterances and loving deeds He showed them, namely, that His resurrection avails in our behalf who believe, so that He therefore anticipates and calls Christians His brethren, who believe it, and yet they do not, like the apostles, witness His resurrection.
The risen Christ waits not until we ask or call on Him to become His brethren. Do we here speak of merit, by which we deserve anything? What did the apostles merit? Peter denied His Lord three times; the other disciples all fled from Him; they tarried with Him like a rabbit does with its young. He should have called them deserters, yea, betrayers, reprobates, anything but brethren. Therefore, this word is sent to them through the women out of pure grace and mercy, as the apostles at the time keenly experienced, and we experience also, when we are mired fast in our sins, temptations, and condemnation.
These are words full of all comfort that Christ receives desperate villains as you and I are and calls us His brethren. Is Christ really our brother, then I should like to know what we can be in need of? Just as it is among natural brothers, so is it also here. Brothers according to the flesh enjoy the same possessions, have the same father, the one inheritance, otherwise they would not be brothers: so we enjoy with Christ the same possessions, and have in common with Him one Father and one inheritance, which never decreases by being distributed, as other inheritances do; but it ever grows larger and larger; for it is a spiritual inheritance. But an earthly inheritance decreases when distributed among many persons. He who has part of this spiritual inheritance, has it all.
However, what is Christ’s inheritance? His heritage is life and death, sin and grace, all that is in heaven and earth, eternal truth, power, wisdom, righteousness; He governs and rules over all, over hunger and thirst, over fortune and misfortune, over everything imaginable, whether in heaven or on earth, not only spiritual but also secular affairs; and the sum total of all is, He has all things in His hand, be they eternal or temporal. Now if I believe on Him, I become partaker with Him of all His possessions, and obtain not only a part or a piece; but, like Him, I obtain all, eternal righteousness, eternal wisdom, eternal strength, and become a lord and reign over all. The stomach will not hunger, sins will not oppress, I will no more fear death, not be terror-stricken by Satan, and I will never be in want, but will be like Christ the Lord Himself…
Saint Paul in a very beautiful way condenses the benefit and use both of Christ’s sufferings and His resurrection in one short passage, as in a nutshell, ‘Who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification’ (Romans 4:25) ….”
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
March 2024
Problems? WUTSR
And we know for those who love God all things work together for the good, for those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Amidst the problems in this fallen-in-sin world, God is at work with Warnings, U-first to help others, it can Turn out better than expected, Suffering is part of this existence, and He Refines us making us every more faithful. That is the message of this article. WUTSR: you can use this acronym for the avenues God works with us through troubles. (Maybe we can remember this acronym with “Wuts R” lesson).
In February I set some Lutheran Hour pamphlets on the narthex table entitled “Why Do Bad Things Happen?” In two weeks, four of them had been taken. I thought, “Wow, I better find out what the author (Rev. Dr. Philip Bickle) is saying; someone might ask me about what they read.” Following are Biblical examples that I have applied to his five avenues.
WARNING-Jonah ran from God’s directive and received warnings with a storm, the casting of lots (that fell on him), being cast into the sea, swallowed by a sea creature for three days and three nights, and “vomited…upon dry land. Then the Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…” (Jonah 2:10b-3:1). Warnings are often less severe, like a slide on the icy road or that “look” when we begin to say something we should not say.
U-FIRST-Job’s afflictions did not come to him as warning. It was evil (Satan) “playing” his wicked games. However, for ages, Job’s suffering has helped the faithful say “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked shall I return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21), and also, “I know that my Redeemer lives…” (Job 19:25). Through trial, we fear God, nurture faith, and know that we dare not “darken [Divine] counsel by words without knowledge” (Job 38:2).
TURNS out better than expected. The Romans 8:28 passage above is the epitome of this avenue. Consider Ruth and Naomi, who dealt with famine and death of loved ones. It turned out with Ruth being great-grandmother of King David and in Jesus’ lineage.
SUFFERING of Christ. This is focused on Good Friday and the atmosphere of the Lenten Season. It can do us well to pause and look upon or reflect on a cross—better yet a crucifix—realizing God in the flesh suffered and had problems. Being His baptized child, we will also surely have problems. Praise God that we also have blessings.
REFINED. “I (God) refine them as one refining silver” (Zechariah 13:9). Refining is the process when precious metals are heated to become a liquid, and impurities float to the top to be removed from the metal. Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, was struck blind, cared for by faithful people, and after fourteen years of refining, went on his first of three missionary journeys.
As noted, this is a fallen-in-sin world, and problems will come our way. We benefit as we are carried through these trying times (problems, bad things, tribulations, etc.). In the process, we draw near to God, fleeing from the devil. We can be warned to avoid things, used as examples, led to be patient for God to complete His work in us, reminded that Christ suffered for us, and refined as His workmanship.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
February 2024
Be Gracious to Me
As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You!” (Psalm 41:4).
To be gracious to mankind is the very thing God is eager to do and continually offers--G.R.A.C.E. (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense). The pinnacle of Christianity is God’s abundant love with the forgiveness of sins earned by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. God’s grace to mankind is what God is eager to provide for mankind. God is also delighted to behold the humble David, and each person, humbly confess, “I have sinned against You.” We are assured in Psalm 51, “The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (vs. 17).
The Apostle Paul recounted that when Peter, James, and John gave Barnabas and him the “right hand of fellowship…that we should go to the Gentles,” the only thing they asked was for us to “remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:9-10). You and I have situations where we get asked to do something we are eager to do, such as a child on Christmas morning hearing, “Merry Christmas! Come to the front room to see what is by the Christmas tree!” That was the very thing the child was eager to do, even though it was an hour earlier than normal waking time. Sure, this is clear when it involves receiving; however, there are other times, as in Paul’s situation, that involve oodles of follow through. Imagine the unemployed person who finally (it seems like the 11th hour) gets asked to come and work. “O hooray, the stress of providing is relieved a little. To have gainful employment is what I am eager to do.” There are many things that we are honored and eager to be asked to do or receive. We shall make it a practice to honor the Lord by requesting of Him, “O Lord, be gracious to me” for this is what He is eager to do.
David’s full request was “O Lord, be gracious to me, heal me, for I have sinned against You.” David made this request faithfully, trusting God and humbling himself. He had some Old Testament history of God’s interactions-- with Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and many others, but David did not have the historical truth of Jesus Christ’s work and His Words promoting us to live in Christ’s grace that you and I have.
We have the refreshing practice in the Divine Service to humble ourselves by confessing our sins. This may be counterintuitive to our society; however, we have God’s sure Word of “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Christians receive God’s grace in baptism to be “born from above” (“born again,” John 3:3), given a “newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and “…be baptized and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16), all “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). God is eager to baptize us and we are eager to live in that grace. We are also eager to receive what Jesus instituted in His Last Will and Testament the night He was betrayed, to receive His forgiveness in His true body and blood in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine. Surely Christians are eager to be active with their Lord’s Last Will and Testament.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
January 2024
Abide in His Word
Jesus said… “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
To be “truly” Christ’s disciple involves a lot of follow through. Specifically, in the above verses, Jesus is teaching us to “abide in (His) Word.” Living in His Word involves knowing His Word and adjusting our lives to fit with His Word. The above verses are part of our yearly Gospel reading for Reformation Sunday, a day recognizing how Martin Luther and his entourage made bold moves to set the church back to Scripture’s truth. The church had been clouded, added to, and polluted with false teachings. Luther had noble Christians before, with, and after him who strived to abide in Christ’s Word.
A disciple’s life involves discipline to follow through properly. For example: a young man was hired as a plumber’s helper. This young man had a desire to have his own plumbing business someday. The plumber who hired him was well-respected as doing careful, thorough, and efficient work. The helper greeted his boss each morning with; “Hey, you are the best plumber. Working with you is springboarding my career.”
However, even after two months with the plumber a typical day included situations like this: “I needed a pipe wrench, not a crescent wrench,” says the plumber as he is upside down and having to wait for a pipe wrench. The helper explained, “Hey, you are the best plumber, but I like crescent wrenches better. The pipe wrench is sort of sloppy with all that free play. But since you were already in the hole, here is the pipe wrench.” Another time the helper was sent to get supplies. The plumber sighed, “We needed an 8’ section of 2” PVC pipe, not two 4’ sections.” The helper muttered, “Two 4’ sections equal 8’ and was easier for me to haul.” This time the plumber had to wait 30 minutes, yet when the helper returned, it was the same platitude, “Hey, you are the best plumber.”
One afternoon when the plumber was called away, he left with the following instructions, “Take the toilet to the deck so we can show the owner it’s problem, clean up, and be extra careful of the front room’s white carpet.” “You bet, you are the best, I believe in you” came the response. When they showed up the next day, the owner said, “No way are you coming in my house. I have someone else coming to finish.” The plumber begged for an explanation, “Look at this carpet, grimy footprints, with the toilet sitting the middle of the front room! Also, the water was left on, and the basement is flooded.”
There is the sad situation when people claim to revere Jesus Christ, say that He is the best, and confess that they believe in Him, but do not want to abide in His Word. Every Christian needs forgiveness; we fall short of perfection. Yet, we are to employ discipline so that we do not continue being negligent in what our Savior taught.
1 John 3 helps us realize an important distinction between human frailty and purposefully planning to not do what His Word says. “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning is also practicing lawlessness: sin is lawlessness…No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning…” (1 John 3:4, 6a). O Lord, guide us and strengthen us to abide in Your Word.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
December 2023
Peace Came to Earth
“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
The “things” that Jesus had said had to do with His departure from them as He would be crucified, making the payment for sin. What sin? All sin. Sin is part of this fallen creation and is continually “crouching at our door” as it was for Cain in Genesis 4:7. Sin is in us, our very flesh as King David laments, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity (not just), and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5).
There is also Satan himself, who is on the prowl as he lies and deceives mankind to continue in our sinful situations with lack of peace. Praise God that in Christ we may have peace and that Jesus Christ has overcome the world of sin and death.
There was a time when sin was not part of creation. “God saw everything that He made, and behold it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). This was a time of blessed peacefulness in which mankind pursued the duties God gave to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Mankind is to be stewards of God’s creation. Yet strife entered that worked on mankind’s will. Mankind chose to deviate from God’s plan (to sin) and strife flourished in man’s relationship to God and to one another. “The Lord saw the wickedness of man was great on earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot man whom I have created from the face of the land…’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:6-8). With Noah, God gave life on earth another start.
From the time of Noah onward, we have witnessed God’s patience with mankind as He provides everything that is needed for life. He calls people into His service to do work of all kinds, striving with our first assignment to fill the earth and subdue it. This responsibility takes oodles of teamwork. We have failed at doing this perfectly and sin, with its nonpeaceful consequences, enslave us. O Lord have mercy.
Peace came to earth in Jesus Christ who gave His life for the sins of the world, Peace through His forgiveness of sins. Praise God, because with the forgiveness of sins there is life and salvation. Christ assures us that “in Me you may have peace,” because He has paid the price with His blood. We still struggle with tribulations on this side of glory; however, in Christ, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Christ has instituted means/methods to distribute His forgiveness in the Word and Sacraments. “The Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the Bride (Church-Ephesians 5:32) say, ‘Come.” And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.”’ (Revelation 22:17a).
God so loved the world that He came to earth. He lived among us, taught us, built, and continues to build, the Church through which He distributes His forgiveness. Therein Christians pursue His spiritual plan to fill the earth by “making disciples of all nations…” and by subduing mankind by “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything that I commanded you” (Matthew 20:19-20).
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
November 2023
Buffet of Theology
“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).
The Apostle Paul was inspired to write the above Divine admonition that he had practiced earlier in his ministry. We read in Acts chapter 17, “…Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” (vs. 22b-23). We are thankful for those who have adhered to teaching of sound doctrine so that we have a nourishing “diet” of God’s truth and grace, and Law and Gospel.
In 2016, Charlotte and I took three of our youth (Daniel, Olivia, and Kasen) on a mission trip to Calvary LCMS in Portland, Oregon. Charlotte prepared lunches and I had breakfast with the youth taking their turns helping. For supper the people of the Calvary congregation received us into their homes or took us out for dinner. We were thinking of a buffet for one of the evenings, but in searching, there were none close by. Our host for that night heard our request and responded: “Yeah, regular buffets are not found around here, but there is one I go to—Sweet Tomatoes.”
That was a unique experience. Many salads of every kind, and as I remember, no roast beef, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, French fries, and the like, that I was used to for a buffet. We survived and were nourished by what we ate at Sweet Tomatoes.
It is common to see a buffet and load up on items that tickle our tongue and satisfy our comfort food barometer. The concern for a fully nourishing meal is set aside because, “We can take care of that later. Look at this spread of food! I am loading up on what I want now!”
In the spiritual realm, there is a vast buffet of theology (thoughts and study about God). It is tempting for mankind to set aside “sound doctrine.” “We can take care of that later. Right now, my desire is for God to satisfy what my ‘itching ears’ (2 Timothy 4:3) want to hear.” When provided with “sound doctrine” that challenges us, there is the temptation to go elsewhere on the buffet of theology. But we are to let go of the desires of the flesh and allow the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ to “make (us) lie down in green pastures” of His grace, as “He leads (us) in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:2-3).
Notice, in the obtaining a balanced, nourishing meal at the restaurant buffet and at the buffet of theology there will be control factors involved. There are some items on the buffet that are good, right, and salutary, and there are other items that will negatively impact our wellbeing. The restaurant buffet affects our wellbeing for this temporary life, while the theological buffet affects both this life and the life to come. We dare not let the old man (who we are by nature) be in charge. For our food diet, our palate will be adjusted with steadfast boundaries. The desire may still be present, but the firm boundaries keep the healthy diet in control. For our theological diet of “sound doctrine” in the Christian faith, the New Man (Jesus Christ in us) will be strengthened, who subdues the old man whose existence is so temporary.
Enjoy being nurtured with sound doctrine and its accompanying faithful life.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
October 2023
Precious Are His Saints
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15).
The above Bible verse was in our Introit (entrance Psalm) the last Sunday of September. As I contemplated that verse, I began to hum the hymn, “Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side….” It is very comforting to know that the Lord considers the time of gathering His faithful into His heavenly realm, where He will spend the rest of eternity with us, as “precious.” This is surely a peaceful, joyful thought that anyone desires to spend everlasting time with us. And to make it all the more “precious” for us, it is Almighty God who wants us to be with Him forevermore. Alleluia!
“Death of His saints” refers to the completion of the chapter of earthly life for the Christian. There is life, dramatic life, to get to this joyful time. God has plainly explained that by nature, we have a terrible condition of sin: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:15). Mankind’s condition of having original sin has been inherited from the first man, Adam, who willfully and purposely disobeyed God—he sinned. That sin is inherited by every human, making us by nature bent to sin (having a natural tendency to do our thing instead of God’s thing).
The consequence for Adam and all His descendants, was to be cast out of the Garden of Eden with the “wages of sin” (death) every before us in this chapter of life. In that Garden of Eden was the “Tree of Life” which would be carefully guarded by cherubim with flaming sword, confirming that mankind could not be undo the effects of sin. Rather, we are to faithfully receive being “born from above” (“born again”) in the waters of Holy Baptism and eagerly desire His Word along with the Divine food of Jesus Christ, distributed in the Lord’s Supper. Christ instituted His Supper on the night He was betrayed to be crucified. Christians live with the cross of Christ ever upon us and before us--“To find within this cross of wood, The tree of life with every good” (LSB 561:4).
Christians have been granted access to begin our everlasting life now, this side of heaven, through the Word and Sacraments. Yet, the battle rages on through this temporary, the battle between God and sin (within us, in the world, and stirred up by the devil). God provides us with the “armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-18) in order that we remain faithful. The intensity and seriousness of this battle is shown in how Jesus taught us to pray. In the Lord’s Prayer, two of the seven petitions (28.5%) are requests that the Lord strengthen and enable us to remain faithful. Petition six is “Lead us not into temptation” as was Adam in disobeying God’s Word. Petition seven is “Deliver us from evil” that is within us, around us, and continually being stirred with deceptive messages from the devil. This battle rages until this chapter of earthly life (our first chapter of life) is completed. Those steadfast and faithful to the end are His saints— “Precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints.” “Be still my soul; the Lord is on your side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to your God to order and provide; In every change He faithful will remain. Be still my soul; your best, your heavenly Friend, Through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end” (LSB 752:1). Help us, dear Lord, to cherish every moment of this chapter of life as You are drawing us to Yourself.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
September 2023
Fear? Yes and No
“Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 5:40).
Jesus inquired this from His disciples after calming a storm on the sea, and in the process, turns us to all mankind’s real danger of “no faith.” We are rightly to “fear, love, and trust in God above all things” (First Commandment, Small Catechism). However, Jesus rebukes fear that is opposed to faith. Rev. Matthew Harrison (President of the LCMS) writes, “’The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 9:10), but the fear of anything else is the beginning of idolatry” (Take Courage, 2023, pg. 13).
Fear is a pervasive emotion among mankind starting with Adam in the Garden of Eden after he ate the forbidden fruit. He said to God, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). In this, there is a proper fear of being convicted of doing wrong and deserving nothing but punishment. Adam, and all mankind, can develop wisdom as we are convicted of our sin. We can then be further taught not to hide but to come directly to the Lord to confess our sins and receive God’s care and blessings. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
In Holy Scriptures we can identify many legitimate examples of proper fear of the Lord, His messengers, His Word, and His power. May this revealed truth accomplish the task of humbling us to symbolically (or literally) bow our head and bend our knee before Almighty God, striving to be in His presence receiving His mercy. However, there are Biblical examples, and multitudes of examples in people’s lives, where people are fearing something other than God. Danger! That is the beginning of idolatry that Jesus rebukes. Jesus rebuked the disciples while they were on the sea in a storm because of their following accusation, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). At that moment, the disciples feared the wind and waves more than God in the flesh who was in the boat with them.
Let me highlight another Biblical account of fearing people instead of God. Aaron, Moses’ assistant on the Exodus from slavery, was approached by the Israelites with a request for gods while Moses was up on the mountain for what seemed to be a long time. Fearing them rather than God, we read: “He (Aaron) received the gold from their hands and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf…These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 32:4). When Moses came down, Aaron tried to justify his action and words by pointing fingers saying to Moses, “You know the people, they are set on evil” (Exodus 32:22b).
Fear can be generated by the forces of nature; there is great power in the wind and waves, along with many other natural forces. In these situations, we shall not be foolish and defy natural laws. We shall take diligent steps to preserve our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. There are situations that can generate fear with other people. These people may be set on evil, or we may want to have their companionship, so we dare not offend them. Again, we shall take diligent steps to use proper cautionary behavior. However, we are always to revere God, His ways, and His Word foremost.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
August 2023
“Nourished and Cherished”
“For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church…” (Ephesians 5:29).
When my family moved to a forty-acre farm in 1972, there was a medium-sized mulberry tree about twenty feet from some out-buildings. There was an orchard about twenty yards to the north and an irrigation coulee thirty yards to the south. This mulberry tree produced some berries, but the robins, blackbirds, and starlings always snatched most of them up.
Within a year or two, we built some corrals, leaving the mulberry tree inside. Over the years cattle and horses nibbled at the leaves and bark, rubbed against the tree, and stomped down the ground around it. The more challenging times were the three plus years when pigs were in the corral, rooting up the ground, wallowing, with further rubbing the mulberry tree. “This is going to kill the tree!” I thought. Through all these years, the tree was not watered. Nevertheless, the mulberry tree was hearty and grew large, even as it was taking abuse from the animals and surviving without being watered. This was in southern Idaho with maybe ten inches of rain a year--not enough for a mulberry tree to survive.
In about 2012, the tree died, and we cut it down. The site was not a good place to leave a stump, so we dug around it to cut it off below ground level. Roots to the east and west were few. Roots to the south (toward the coulee) were nonexistent. However, the root to the north (toward the orchard) was huge, possibly three feet in diameter, like a huge taproot going horizontally twenty yards toward the orchard. Thereby, the tree had been nourished and cherished as it grew. The irrigation coulee may have sent attractive signals for the tree to grow its roots southward. The coulee had some runoff fertilizer enriching the water and there was plenty of flowing water temporarily (six to seven months a year). But there were no roots going south. The root went north to the orchard that received some water and had roots of other fruit trees to be among.
Application: “Christ nourishes and cherishes the church.” The church certainly experiences abuse by the world. Many forms of evil have rubbed against her, mocked her ways, nibbled at the truth that she proclaims, and dug around her base. The church is nourished with God’s grace and perseveres through the challenges. The devil uses his deception to attempt to entice the church to what appears to be richer “water” or understandings; understandings that are so temporary, understandings that may stand in the world yet are for this existence only. God’s truth will prevail now and forevermore. We in the church also thrive among the communion of saints (other fruit tree roots).
Christ cherishes the church among and through the abuses and challenges. Christ assures us in Matthew 16:18,” I build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Here my application with the mulberry tree fails, for the tree died, but the church remains on earth and forevermore in God’s care. A hymn from the Lutheran Service Book proclaims, “Built on the Rock the church shall stand, Even when steeples are falling” (LSB 645).
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
July 2023
“To Eternal Life”
“Jesus said…’The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13b).
Above is the theme verse for Faith’s Vacation Bible School this summer. The Bible stories all had to do with water. Moses struck a rock when instructed to do so by God who provided water for weary travelers on the Exodus out of slavery. Naaman was washed clean of leprosy as he washed seven times in the Jordan River as instructed by the prophet Elisha. Jesus spoke with a burdened woman at a well in Samaria. The above verse is from Jesus’ conversation with her. The last day of VBS was Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. (Note: with all this talk about water, I had plenty of requests to get a drink of water and to use the bathroom.)
All those stories dealt with water, which is crucial for earthly life, but none of these waters—not water from the rock, from the Jordan, from the well in Samaria, nor in Jesus’ wash basin--welled up to eternal life. This needed some explanation.
With some leading, the children made the connection that eternal life is for those who believe in Jesus Christ because “there is salvation (eternal life) in no one else’ (Acts 4:12). Praise be to God the Holy Spirit who calls and enlightens us so that we do believe for “…no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3b).
But why the blood, the sadness of Jesus dying when He was thirty-three years old, shedding His blood on the cross? Why not just live as a wonderful teacher whom we could gladly call our Lord? This way we would not deal with the ugly, gruesome image of Jesus whipped, crowned with thorns, nailed, and eventually stabbed. An answer came forth from some youth, “Because Jesus was paying for our sins on the cross!” I pushed back: “Does everyone sin?” A couple children saying, “no” did leak out. But with questions about “honoring your father and mother,” they responded, “Everyone sins.” “Except Jesus,” inserted a youth. “Exactly right,” I told them and shared how God’s Word is very plain with this truth that “all have sinned and fall short” (Romans 3:23).
Almighty, pure, and holy God does not and will not coexist with sin. Eternal life is only possible when our sins are forgiven. This is the focal point of what mankind is to believe concerning Jesus Christ—He shed His blood for you. Praise God the Holy Spirit as He takes Christ’s story of shedding His blood and instills faith in us concerning Christ’s saving work. Enjoy this saving faith. Let us also realize Jesus further nurtures the faithful through personal means that our body feels, as we get washed clean in Baptism, that our ears hear in absolution--the practice of a person who is acting in Jesus’ stead and by His command saying, for your ears to hear, “I forgive you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Jesus instituted this practice in His resurrected body in John 20:23. Jesus further gets very intimate as He provides a meal for our mouths to taste and our body to receive. On the night He was betrayed He took bread, which He said was His body, and wine of which He said, “…this is My blood…for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
The forgiveness given by Christ wells up in us to eternal life.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
June 2023
“Reign With Him”
“If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:11b-13a).
The verses above were likely a hymn that Paul and early Christians sang. Paul was inspired to have it in his second letter to Timothy in the context of being strengthened to carry on in his role. Paul mentions some practical examples that benefit from such strengthening: 1) “a good soldier of Christ Jesus,” 2) “an athlete,” and 3) “a hardworking farmer…” (2 Timothy 2:3-6). Christians die with Christ and live with Christ. Strengthen us, O Lord, to endure.
“If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him” corresponds nicely with baptism as identified in Romans 6:3, 5: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death...if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” Christians share intimately in Christ’s death and resurrection, being “clothed in Christ” (Galatians 3:23) in baptism. Christ further shares Himself under the forms of bread and wine with His true body and blood to be taken inside of us in the Sacrament of the Altar. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these tactile methods of giving Your grace to us.
“If we endure, we will also reign with Him.” Alleluia! This is in accord with being “heirs of God, fellow heirs (coheirs) of Christ” (Romans 8:17). This idea of reigning and being a fellow heir with Christ Jesus our Lord is an exciting, honorable, and responsible role. The move from being a servant to one who reigns is to be a settling experience. In athletics, I made the move from being an athlete who was trying to secure a position on the team to being a leader of the team; no longer was I watching out just for myself. I had others watching me closely. It was important for my words and actions to be in line with the coach’s. The same has been observed in the coaching ranks. The assistant coach is in a position of reigning with the head coach. An assistant coach’s ideologies may need to be put on the shelf because they are not in line with the head coach.
As a Christian, we start as one loved, called, and baptized. Therein, we are in Christ’s Kingdom of Grace. His forgiveness of sins is directly, specifically, and personally applied to us. As we settle in, we are carried along being matured as a Christian. To be matured includes enduring challenges, “if we endure, we will also reign with Him.” While exciting and honoring, it is also a responsibility. Our reigning with Christ begins now, this side of glory. Now we are like a team leader or assistant coach with some of our desires put aside in order that Christ’s ways and His leadership are honored. Our desires may be products of our bent flesh, or they may be in line with Christ’s kingdom but not appropriate for the situation and/or the people we are around.
When Gods gather’s those who endure to His Kingdom of Glory, there will be nothing to put aside because our bent flesh is no longer present, and our desires will be pure. In the Kingdom of Glory, neither we ourselves nor situations and other people will be in the way. We will have peace, unity, and joy as the rule.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
May 2023
“Carried Along”
“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21).
In God’s intimate work of Divine inspiration, we are being assured that in Holy Scripture “we have something more sure” than the disciples’ eye and ear witness.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when
he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the
Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves
heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay
attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star
rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from
someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man,
but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:16-21)
We are thankful for the Apostle Peter’s recording of these words as the Holy Spirit carried him along. He explains that both of his letters were reminders “that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:4).
In history and at this present time, we can see/hear scoffers of God’s people, His church (the bride of Christ), His instituted means of grace, along with straight out scoffing at the Word of God. This is a challenging situation that leads people to a flight or fight response. Flight is to avoid anything controversial because the antagonist will attack. So, some flee from standing on the God’s inspired Word. This flight mentality justifies itself with, “We do not want to cause problems; therefore, we will flee the scene or be quiet.” These and other flight responses have happened and continue to happen now, some two thousand years after Christ’s victory. Flight is not a proper response.
So then, shall we fight? Yes and no. Yes, with the Word of God as the Holy Spirit strengthens and enlightens us to pursue God’s will. No, we do not take up weapons or any action to hurt others in their bodies, nor attack their character with hurtful words or actions. Peter’s epistles have admonitions on the proper way to fight. “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). We also read, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make defense to anyone who asks you for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect….” (1 Peter 3:14b-15). Peter’s second epistle concludes with, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18). We pray that the Holy Spirit will carry us along in this noble journey of being a Christian.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
April 2023
“They Fell to the Ground”
“When Jesus said to them, ‘I AM He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:6).
I remember a time when someone I knew to be strong fell to the ground. My dad, brothers, and I were working outside on our forty-acre farm. We thought that the electric fence for the cattle was unplugged. Dad reached out to push the wire down to step over and ZAP! He crumpled to the ground. My brothers and I were concerned. Dad got up and muttered something about how that shock just knocks him down. Some people are not so affected by the electric fence. However, everyone will bow to the Lord.
This was the setting in which “they fell to the ground” as Jesus proclaimed, “I AM”: “Judas (Iscariot) having procured a band of soldiers and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees, went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons….” Jesus went to them to find out that they were seeking Jesus of Nazareth, so “When Jesus said to them, ‘I AM He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”
John’s Gospel has other “I AM” statements. “I AM the Bread of Life” 6:35, “I AM the Light of the world” 8:12, “before Abraham was I AM” 8:58, “I AM the Door” 10:7, “I AM the Good Shepherd” 10:11, “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” 11:25, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life” 14:6, and “I AM the True Vine” 15:1. In the New Testament language, Greek, I AM is ego eimi, in Hebrew it is Yahweh. All these I AM statements recorded in John point back to Moses. God informed Moses Who was sending him to lead the people out of slavery. God said, “I AM Who I AM…say…I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). The Hebrew scribes so revered I AM (YHWH is what they wrote with no vowels so it could not be pronounced) that they used a new writing utensil to write what we translate as I AM.
That band of soldiers, officers, etc. were known to be strong, and “they drew back and fell to the ground,” when Jesus proclaimed “I AM.” They were there to arrest Him, and “they drew back and fell to the ground.” They were the aggressors and “they drew back and fell to the ground.” In the presence of Jesus, as He speaks with Almighty authority confessing “I AM,” mankind will bow. Some of the band may not have known God’s Word to Moses. Most, if not all, of them would have paid little or no attention to His previous preaching with His I AM statements. Nevertheless, they buckled; “they drew back and fell to the ground.” They could do nothing other than that.
All mankind will experience this buckling, falling to the ground, bowing to Jesus. Scripture informs us three times that “every knee shall bow” (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10). The Philippian passage provides some further explanation: “Therefore God has highly exalted Him (Jesus Christ) and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (vs. 9-10). For those who have practiced rejecting Christ and what He offers, they will be like the band of supposedly strong people and bow to the Lord. His presence demands it. For the faithful, this bowing is practiced as we recognize God and His mighty power. Praise be to God, the Great I AM.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
March 2023
Discipleship
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).
God-directed discipline trains Christians to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Christians, we regularly present our moldable clay to be formed by the Master Potter into His new creation. Discipleship has many peaceful fruits as we transverse through this existence to be gathered up into peaceful life everlasting with the resurrection of the body.
“Oh, but I am not a disciplined person. Neither am I one who seeks discipline. Discipleship must be for other people who have it all together.” This type of push back is common, so common that possibly everyone struggles with it in some arena of life. For myself, there are some arenas that I am passionate about, and I am eager for the discipline to thrive in that arena. However, for other concerns, “that is good enough,” ends up being my response, with little desire to get better. Many of you have seen my “good enough” penmanship.
I propose that each person is well-acquainted with the regular discipline of putting on clothes—well at least each person over 2 or 3 years old. Consider this daily discipline. Stretch, pull, adjust, tie, button, snap, buckle, etc. your clothing and shoes. Think through the discipline of each piece of clothing you have on right now. You are a disciplined person.
We are such good clothing disciples because it is good for you, it is good for me, and it is good for society. In this society, we learn the art of clothing discipleship early and practice it daily. In so doing, we avoid awkward and embarrassing situations for ourselves and others. Clothing discipleship also has the “fruitful peace” of not contaminating areas and the safety of not having so much more skin exposed to dangers of pinching, crushing, cutting, etc. Thank you for being a clothing disciple.
This concept can be applied to Christian discipleship, which is good for you, good for me, and good for society. There are daily discipleship things to do. Scripture has been provided for us to hear, read, memorize, study, etc. In Scripture we are directed to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Our thoughts and words are continually heard by God and sometimes by others. Our whole life of thoughts, words, and actions (done or omitted) is our ongoing, every present, discipleship. Let us consistently present our moldable clay to God Almighty as He desires to complete His work in us.
There are also more formal Christian discipleship practices that take place weekly and seasonally. These practices are not so spontaneous. They take actual work of making time to have time, which was true for the daily discipleship of using Scripture also. But consider the time to put on our socks, one at time with bending, stretching, and pulling. How much time do we take with clothes per week? Count the on and off, showers, pajamas, and do not fail to count the washing, drying, folding, and putting away. At least two hours? O Lord, guide us in paths of Christian discipleship!
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
February 2023
Salt of the Earth
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under peoples’ feet” (Matthew 5:13).
This verse follows the nine “blessed are you” statements that Jesus Christ proclaimed at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount. “You are the salt of the earth” immediate context “you” being those blessed by Christ and thriving with blessed traits of being 1) “poor in spirit,” 2) those who “mourn,” 3) “meek,” 4) those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” 5) “merciful,” 6) “pure in heart,” 7) “peacemakers,” 8) those who are “persecuted for righteousness,” and 9) those “reviled falsely” on Christ’s account.
In the first century, salt was used to enhance the flavor of food, as a cleaning agent (bodily wounds were disinfected), and as a preservative for meat and other foods. Roman soldiers were issued as part of their provisions “salarium” (sal is Latin for salt). This has made it into the English language as salary. There is much discussion if Roman soldiers were actually paid regularly with salt. However, the issued provision of salt was a valuable commodity that could be traded.
Christians being called “the salt of the earth” means that we are valuable in Jesus’ eyes. Our life tastes different from the world around us because of Jesus’ cleansing and preserving us through His grace. This includes our Baptism. In the early baptismal rites, salt was placed upon the lips or in the mouth of the baptismal candidate. Martin Luther’s Baptismal rite (LW 53:93-96) had what we practice with the sign of the cross made upon the head and upon the heart, followed with a prayer. But his went on: “He shall take the child, put salt into his mouth, and say: ‘(name); receive the salt of wisdom. May it aid thee to eternal life. Amen. Peace be with thee.’” The baptism then continued.
“Salt of wisdom” is received through the blessings that Christ announces in Matthew 5 and that He offers, gives, and seals through His grace in the Word and Sacraments. Praise be to God for His loving mercy and bountiful gifts to us.
The phrase, “But if salt loses its taste” (its saltiness) can be applied when the blessed traits are rejected. If being poor in spirit is rejected, the person pursues, practices, and celebrates being proud, boastful, and arrogant in spirit. We could reject mourning over sin of the world and its consequences or reject being meek by pursuing and investing in personal glory. Rejecting hunger and thirst for righteousness leads to yearning for immediately satisfaction; rejecting being merciful leads to pursuing ways to hold others down. We could reject being pure in heart, instead delighting the sinful heart, or reject making peace, preferring to stir up strife. We could reject anything that causes persecution or being reviled because we are too good to suffer anything. Christians, as “salt of the earth,” can also lose their saltiness by rejecting the Word and Sacraments that Christ regularly distributes through His bride—the Church.
As God’s precious children, may we readily and persistently receive what God offers to preserve our saltiness so He can use us as the “salt of the earth” to enhance, cleanse and preserve others around us.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
January 2023
Lost or _______?
Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).
To repent is to tum to be with God. Luke chapter fifteen has three parables that Christ shared showing concern for those who were away. All three parables have joy and celebration as the sheep, coin, and son are returned to their rightful spot.
We can apply these parables to the church’s concern for those not receiving God’s grace and mercy as Christ established it to be distributed in His church. In Matthew 16 Jesus plainly explains that “I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (vs. 18b-19). Each congregation rightly has concern for those who are not receiving what Christ has established.
The lost sheep in Luke 15 can be applied to people who belong to the church, but for whatever reason, have wandered away. The sheep was found; it did not run away or kick at the Shepherd. However, Christ did experience some who would “run” or “kick.” In John 6 we hear that after Jesus gave His sermon on being the Bread of Life that when many of His disciples heard it, they said, “This is hard saying; who can listen to it?’” (vs. 60). Jesus reached out to carry them back, but “After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him” (vs. 66). The church promotes regular attendance. If you are not in regular attendance, please consider your situation.
The second parable, the lost coin, can be applied as people who have lost Christ’s valuable means of grace offered in the church because they have so many other things occupying their lives. There needs to be concentrated effort to shine “light” on what is important, to “sweep” out what is problematic, and to “seek diligently” for what Christ has established. If this speaks of your situation and you desire help, please let me know.
The third parable can be applied to the people who take all they can from what the church has and go away. They are thinking they do not need church and are just fine on their own; yet they end up realizing things were not so bad in the church. If this describes you, please return and enjoy the regular celebration of Christ’s victory.
Faith Lutheran Church strives to provide consistent worship services through Christ’s instituted means of grace. Efforts are made to show our concern in worship services. There are also written communications (like this newsletter), on Faith’s webpage and emails, letters, and cards. Members of Faith Lutheran may also communicate with those who have been away. God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, also works through experiences, consciences, and other ways to get people’s attention.
For those who are not present, it is difficult to discern if they need to be carried back (like the sheep), reordered (to find the lost coin), or are away and do not want to be bothered (like the son). Whatever the situation, if you are part of Faith Lutheran Church, know that we desire to serve you God’s grace through the Word and Sacraments.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
December 2022
This Is My Son
And behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
These are words from the heavenly Father spoken at Christ’s Baptism and then again at His transfiguration with the admonition for mankind to, “…listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). Scripture records other sons who were thought to be the prophesied Messiah. Our midweek Advent Services will consider other sons who fell short, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our natural self, who we are and what we can develop into, falls short of being God’s perfect child.
During the midweek services, we will first consider Cain, the son of Adam and Eve. Cain was the first child born--Eve’s offspring! God had said to Satan that her offspring would crush Satan’s head. However, Cain proved to be jealous and angry, and a murderer of his brother Abel. The heartache that caused for Adam and Eve was immense. Disappointment in Cain’s failure, the absence of Abel, and the longing for the Promised One was intensified. Adam and Eve pursued the Genesis chapter one commission for mankind to “…be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…” (Genesis 1:28). People lived hoping that an offspring of a woman would come to be the Messiah.
Abraham was promised children: “And (God) took him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:5-6). Abraham’s belief in God’s Word is the righteousness that Christians have “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). However, Abraham deviated from God’s righteous ways, listened to others, and had his first child, Ishmael, with Hagar, a woman who was not his wife. Oh, the turmoil we bring upon ourselves when we deviate from God’s ways! Abraham’s wife Sarah did have a child who is in the lineage of Jesus.
Fourteen generations later in Abraham’s lineage was David, who became a mighty king. However, David’s family life was not peaceful. His son Absalom took drastic measures to be the next king. He took it in his own hands to kill David’s eldest son. Then he took to the city’s gate saying whatever he could to win the people’s heart away from his dad. Absalom’s murder and political maneuvering brought him an early death instead of the royal seat.
Adam and Eve’s son Cain the Messiah? No--Cain caused problems.
Abraham’s son without his wife the Messiah? No, Ishmael caused problems.
David’s son with Abigail the Messiah? No, Absalom caused problems.
Joseph (as was supposed) and Mary’s Son Jesus the Messiah? Yes indeed! Jesus is God’s beloved Son who instituted means by which are given a new life and born from above in Holy Baptism. We are drawn to live with His grace lavished on us through His established means of distributing the forgiveness of sins--the Word and Sacraments. The Divinely forgiven human is also God’s beloved child and His heir (Romans 8:17).
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
November 2022
This Is the Day
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
In our Easter Sunrise Service, we sing this verse responsively, walking to the outside crosses for an Easter proclamation and then sing it again walking back to the sanctuary. The joy of Easter is rejoicing in the Lord’s victory. His victory is the believers victory every day. Alleluia! Amen.
I have heard more than one person say, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” The first time I heard this, I paused and wanted to push back because my life started on my birthday; well, my life actually started when I was conceived as God “knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). However, it is true that for the rest of our life, today is the first day.
We are cautioned by Jesus as He explained, “…do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own troubles” (Matthew 6:34). The future is not in our control. We are to live one day at a time and make the most of each day as the first day of the rest of our lives. Some of what we do today is to plan for the future. That is good, we just must avoid anxiety about the future. Develop a plan and share it with others and God with “if the Lord wills” (James 4:15). God is in control of all things, and He may adjust your plans.
With today as the first day of the rest of our lives, we receive the Lord’s teaching to not be anxious about tomorrow. This saying is focused on today. Contemplation on this saying leads us away from dwelling on unfortunate, awkward, hurtful things of our past. Some behavioral scientists have calculated that each day we have about 600,000 thoughts, 80% of those thoughts being negative. I am a bit skeptical on that percentage because I do not seem to experience this myself. Nevertheless, that was their data, and considering the news, many people’s general conversations, and the fallen-in-sin situation in which we exist, there is likely some validity to that 80%. To counter that pessimistic outlook, it is advisable to regularly be reading, listening to, and memorizing God’s Word for a fresher outlook. Another piece of data about human thoughts is that 95% of today’s thoughts were yesterday’s thoughts. There are many useful, pleasant, enriching things that we carry with our yesterday’s thoughts that are to be nurtured. The other negative thoughts are to be healthily dealt with as we practice daily contrition and repentance to drown that old stuff with the truth of our blessed assurances in Baptism.
With these two tabulations of our daily thoughts, we will do well to sing in our heart or aloud Psalm 118:24. The Easter Sunrise responsive tune makes this verse easy to memorize: “THIS IS THE DAY, (this is the day),
THAT THE LORD HAS MADE, (that the Lord has made),
LET US REJOICE, (let us rejoice),
AND BE GLAD IN IT (and be glad in it)
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
THIS IS THE DAY (this is the day) That the Lord has made.”
This rejoicing and being glad about God, His grace offered, and His love proclaimed promotes a positive way to pursue each day as the first day of the rest of our lives.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
October 2022
Why I Am a Lutheran
“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).
Why I am a Christian is wrapped up in the Father drawing us to the saving work of Jesus Christ through His Word and Sacraments (John 6:44), along with the Holy Spirit enlightening us to call on the Lord Jesus for, “no one says ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3b). Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
Within the fullness of Christianity, there is the Lutheran doctrine or teachings to which I adhere because they “accord with sound doctrine” with Scripture as the rule and norm. With that being said, there are many of other confessions that would make the same proclamation. Nevertheless, we are concerned for their take on certain points that are not in Scripture, go further than Scripture, or stop short of what Scripture sets forth.
Following are five points that set Lutheran doctrine apart as we confess all five.
1) Mercy of Jesus Christ. Mercy is needed because we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This emphasis impacts our worship, humbling us before God. Other churches recognize Divine mercy, yet their emphasis will be on God’s providence (providing everything) or God’s sovereignty (God is the Supreme power). Lutherans recognize these; however, when these characteristics receive the greatest emphasis, mercy is less appreciated. I look forward to sharing examples if you ask.
2) Accepting what Scripture says with paradoxes. Lutherans confess things that Scriptures teaches that, according to the human mind, seem impossible. All Christian teaching confesses a Triune God--three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and one God. All Christians also confess that Jesus victoriously rose from the dead on Easter. These are paradoxes. Para means being parallel, running side by side with the glory of God (doxology). Lutheran doctrine affirms the Sacrament of the Altar to be what it is to our senses—bread and wine, as well as what is recorded four times in Scripture—body and blood. We also respect and teach predestination and universal grace because Scripture teaches both. These are examples of parallel glories of God that we accept and live with by faith.
3) Historical: We retain the doctrine of the Church Fathers in so far as they were in line with Scripture. This shows respect for those who have gone before us. We can appreciate the struggle to develop sound doctrine because the evil foe is continually on the prowl with his deceptive methods. False teachings that are around today fall into categories of concepts that the Church Fathers have addressed. Studying the Church Fathers can help us avoid many errors.
4) Objective Justification with the objective means of grace. Objective Justification means that the work of Christ is good for all (John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:4). It comes to the individual (subjective justification) through tangible objective means of God’s Word and Sacraments, gifts that the individual can touch, hear, see, taste, and smell.
5) Vocations: We serve God by serving people of our vocations of occupation, family, community, and church. We do Divine work by serving people. There is much more to say on each of these points. I would enjoy discussing them with you.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
September 2022
A FIT Christian
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).
-“established in the faith.” Christians are to be Faithful. Proverbs 3:3 “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.”
-“so walk in Him.” Christians are to walk in Christ’s way. Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God. And walk in love, as Christ love us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
-“just as you were taught.” Christians are to be teachable. Proverbs 13:18 “Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof in honored.”
A FIT Christian is Faithful, and Imitator of God, and is Teachable.
Scripture also promotes being physically fit, “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Note that in the same breath of promoting physical fitness that “godliness” (spiritual FITness receives the emphasis.)
“Bodily training is of some value” allows the Christian to serve in their vocations in the church, their family, as a citizen, and as a worker. There is a time for those granted long years of life that the body can no longer be trained to serve others; rather God blesses others whose body can still be trained in the church, our family, our community, and through paying occupations to serve them. Bodily training involves consistent strenuous effort involving some uncomfortableness and can be humbling. However, “bodily training is some value” because it allows the individual to hold off that time of being served by others as well as making that individual more effective and efficient. Thank you, dear Lord, for having us follow through on some “bodily training.”
We can spiritually FIT because “godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” The spiritually FIT will be able to serve with God’s truth being evident to those in the church, our family, our community, and with our coworkers. To become and remain a spiritually FIT person it takes strenuous consistent effort to be present, involved, and receptive. There are times of being uncomfortable because we have to force ourselves to do the godly thing and/or crossing someone’s path to encourage them to amend their ways. A spiritually FIT person will be led to show humility regularly and consistently through the confession of sins. Continually being humbled to live under the authority of God and His ways.
The Teaching of Christianity will lead us to be Faithful and Imitators of God. To enhance ourselves as spiritually FIT Christians we can approach God, His Word, His establishments with a teachable spirit. A teachable spirit of a person receiving bodily training, spiritual training, or any other training allows that person to progress faster and is a joy for the one who teaches. O Lord enlighten us to be Faithful, an Imitator of You, and Teachable.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
August 2022
Intelligent Sunflowers!?
“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).
Here we have the First of the Ten Commandments. It was explained to me by a Concordia Theological Seminary professor that “shall” in Hebrew can also be translated as “will.” Our old man, who we are by nature and bent to sin, needs to be consistently commanded. Our new man, Christ in us, loves to hear who we are and what we will be doing; what we are bound to do with Christ in us. In Christ, we have life to the full now followed with an everlasting, glorified resurrected life with Christ and all the faithful.
One evening I noticed the sunflowers facing the sunset to the west. The next morning those sunflowers were facing the sunrise to the east. Are sunflowers that intelligent? The very nature of plant knowledge put aside the idea of intelligent plants and recognized them as being effectively designed. Just consider how irrelevant it is to a plant to have someone explain what it shall and shall not do. The plant would not understand the explanation and would not be able to do anything anyway.
However, for those who can hear and do something with knowledge, the explanation from a respected authority is very relevant. We are to desire to get along with respected authority in order to avoid punishment and to receive benefits. As I reflect on authorities in my life, there are good memories and times of regret. And even with the good memories, there are examples (known and unknown to me) of not doing all the “shalls” and “shall nots” perfectly. My authority covered for me, gave me some sort of leniency, because of our relationship and/or my performance was still of some value.
Sunflowers’ performance is intimidating. Every morning facing east, every evening facing west without error! Effectively designed life indeed! “And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good” (Genesis 1:31a). However, creation was affected by man’s violation of God’s Word. “Creation has been groaning” (Romans 8:22), mankind is bent to sin, and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This is a rather bleak comprehension of the sin in this world and part of us. Nevertheless, life is part of God’s creation, and He is the Effective Designer of sunflowers, just as He is of breath--something we commonly do so well—we breathe. Our effectively designed lungs analyze, sort, take in, and disperse the gas we breathe. Only about twenty-one percent of the air is oxygen, the gas needed for respiration. Oxygen has eight protons and electrons which makes it very similar in size to seventy-eight percent of the air which is nitrogen with seven protons and electrons. Nitrogen is deadly if it enters our blood. God has assured us that “He, Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Mankind continues to be humbled and amazed by the effective design that we observe. May we also be humbled and amazed by the Effective Designer.
The effective design of sunflowers is to bend/bow to the sun. Mankind is infested with sin, so we do not by nature bow to the Son. Therefore, God instructs us with “You shall have no other gods before Me.” We are to bow to nothing else. Hear that daily, old man. Yet, in Christ we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), assured in Baptism that we are united with Christ (Romans 6:4-6). In Christ we “WILL have no other gods.”
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
July 2022
Cheatgrass/Sin Clings
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sins which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:1-2a).
Cheatgrass has a seed the clings to our socks and can be very troubling for dogs. A veterinarian who dealt with cheatgrass in dogs’ paws reported an incident of cheatgrass entering the tear duct of a dog and another incident in which cheatgrass lodged in a dog’s brain. Cheatgrass clings to us and our pets and requires concerted effort to remove before bigger problems develop. Sin is an ever-present nuisance, this side of glory, that takes concerted efforts to remove, when possible, to avoid further problems. For sin, I add “when possible” because, as the Apostle Paul found out, we each deal with “a thorn of the flesh” to keep us from “becoming conceited” (2 Corinthians 12:7). This “thorn” may have been a physical ailment or a persistent weakness that tempted Paul. He pleaded that the “thorn” be taken away, and Jesus’ response was “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
So, some sin, our personal “thorn,” coexists with us, and we eagerly receive God’s grace in the forgiveness of sin and strengthening to carry on. Other sin is like cheatgrass that gets attached to our socks, and we make concerted effort to remove the pesky nuisance. Recently, I walked through some cheatgrass to retrieve a disc while playing disc golf. I swiped at them, knocking a couple off and driving others deeper into my socks. I decided to finish the disc golf course, recognizing there was more cheatgrass ahead. As I walked along, the cheatgrass poked me for a while and then settled into the socks, or maybe I become accustomed to the cheatgrass’s presence; either way, I was not too bothered. However, when I got home, I sat down and meticulously pulled out each seedhead, some from the inside of the sock because it had worked its way in. I was glad that all the cheatgrass had been trapped in the socks, so none were working their way under a toenail or into my flesh. Dogs do not wear socks, and those pesky cheatgrass seedheads will invade the dog’s paws.
Cheatgrass in a nuisance that comes from the outside and clings to us unless we make a concerted effort to effectively remove it. There is our original sinful nature enticed by Satan, and there is sin of the world that comes from the outside and will cling to us unless we make an effort to effectively remove it. Praise God that in Baptism we are clothed in Christ. In this illustration, Christ’s clothing act as the socks that trap the cheatgrass. In such a way, Baptism shields us from the sin of the world. However, just like the cheatgrass and socks needing concerted effort to be cleansed, we also by “daily contrition and repentance” drown the Old Adam--our vulnerable flesh--in order that those worldly sins do not get implanted in us. The Holy Spirit is also leading us to take up Scripture, confess our sins, and receive absolution; He also invites us to partake of Christ Himself in the Sacrament of the Altar.
We are to remove cheatgrass with concerted effort. We are to remove worldly sin that “clings so closely…looking to Jesus” and His established tools (Means of Grace).
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
June 2022
O Lord, You Know
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:1-2).
This Psalm includes focus on the omniscience of God; He is “…acquainted with all my ways…before a word is on my tongue…You know it….” There are omnipresent characteristics as well; “…heaven…You are there…Sheol…You are there…uttermost parts of the sea…Your right hand shall hold me.” We also see His intimate omnipotence, “…knitted me together in my mother’s womb…wonderful are Your works….”
For the new man (believers with Christ in us), this Psalm is loaded with comfort of God’s knowledge about us, His presence with us always, and His gentle yet all-powerful strength. The new man in us receives nurturing through further assurance of God’s promises and His will for us. God’s will! “‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ How is God’s will done? God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will” (Lord’s Prayer, Third Petition, Luther’s Small Catechism). There is comfort that God is protecting, strengthening, and keeping us. To help our new man hear this Psalm, I suggest saying/reading Luther’s explanation above, then reading Psalm 139, and then pray the Lord’s Prayer. Herein we are comforted with God’s knowledge, presence, and strength.
However, we exist within this “tent” of the old man, the old man being what we are by nature, without God’s intervention. The old man is bound to sin, “…for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21), and “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). As a sinner, the knowledge, presence, and strength of God is fearful. Adam started out with his place “in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). He was provided a suitable helper in Eve and the two of them lived at peace, walking and talking with God with no inhibitions and no trying to cover anything. Then, there was a fall into sin by doing exactly what they were instructed not to do; they hid themselves, ashamed, and tried to sidestep the direct question about refusing God’s ways by blaming others. Adam, Eve, and the old man in us all try to do whatever we can to be righteous on our own. With the words, “It is not really my fault,” the old man attempts to justify. In this bentness, we strive to be righteous, trying to convince ourselves, others, and even God, as did Adam and Eve, even if it is at the expense of someone else. “The woman You gave to be with me, she…” (Genesis 3:12). Adam is blaming Eve and blaming God for giving her to him, doing whatever he can to be righteous all by himself.
Lord, stop that old man from dragging us down into the ugly pit of self-righteousness. Enlighten the new man You have given us to rejoice that You know us as Your forgiven children who are in Your presence with Your grace upon and within us and carried in the strength of Your everlasting arms.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
May 2022
Me and My Repentance
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
This was the Apostle Peter’s response to those who were convicted and convinced that they were sinners deserving punishment. What a blessed response to be Baptized (washed clean with a new life in Christ) and to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with His four-fold gifts (The Holy Spirit 1. Calls us by the Gospel. 2. Enlightens us with His gifts. 3. Sanctifies us by having us believe in Jesus Christ and by having us live a more holy life. 4. Keeps us in the saving faith of believing in Jesus Christ.)
“Repent” started off Peter’s answer. To repent is to turn from sinful ways to God’s way. This is a lifelong behavior that we are to embrace, which leads me to the title of this article, “Me and My Repentance.” Several years ago, I had a dream of a young man thanking me for preaching about “Me and My Repentance.” I responded that it must have been someone else because I had not preached a sermon on that. The young man asserted, “Oh, yeah, you did, right here in that church. Your teaching has impacted my life, and I have learned to embrace and appreciate living with Me and My Repentance.” This was encouraging yet humbling--encouraging in that someone’s life was impacted with a Biblical practice; humbling in that the work was done by someone else. This humbling component is important with any truly “good work” that is done, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
God works through His Word--His established distribution of His grace--and through His people to help us learn how and when to repent. The following analogy involves humans working with a dog. The concept is that people work through several methods to have a pet be an enjoyable critter that gets to keep living with us. Human thoughts and ways are above those of their pets in a similar way to God’s thoughts and ways being above ours. We read in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways My ways…. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
My analogy: when I was a child, puppy Sandy came to live in our home. She learned when to bark and not bark. She was house trained by going to the door, looking at the door, or maybe using a soft bark or whine to ask to go out. She learned where to lie down and where not to lie down. This puppy learned to “repent”: to turn from what came naturally to her as dog and do things in accordance with our ways.
Sandy matured and was a wonderful pet for the family. However, she needy daily care throughout her life. She needed to ask to go out, be reminded to lie down only in certain places, not bark, etc. She practiced many of things well; however, there were times when a squirrel, cat, or knock at the door caused her to react outside the recognized boundaries, which forced us to bring her back in line. This involved the family forgiving the dog; we were not going to cast her out.
This analogy of a pet can be applied to our lifelong Christian discipline of Me and My Repentance. With God’s forgiveness of sins, God will not cast us out.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
April 2022
Befriend Faithfulness
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3)
The Greek word for the love of a friend is phileo. Of the four loves in the Greek language (agape, storgé, eros, and phileo) phileo is recognized as the most expensive love—a love that requires regular attention. Agape is the all-giving, charity love that God has for the world; “God is love” (1 John 4:8b). Storgé is summed up by a couple clichés such as “He is not heavy, he is my brother,” and “Blood is thicker than water.” Family is family, and the bond is strong. Eros has physiological triggers that are powerful in their own right. All these loves benefit from some attention; however, phileo requires the most attention to keep the relationship active. Consider a close friend from your youth that has not received attention; that friendship is either very weak or nonexistent. Yet even if we fail, God loves, family remains family, and eros is part of mankind’s physiology.
The concept in Psalm 37:3 to “befriend faithfulness” is a unique friendship in that a trait is befriended instead of a person. Faithfulness is a healthy trait to befriend, as is loyalty, and the fruit of the Spirit. However, in this existence, there are vices of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh that lead us to befriend negative traits. The list of these traits is extensive, so let us just consider the negative traits of anger, anxiety, pride, and laziness. Our sinful flesh can get activated with one or more of these traits, and we tend to befriend them. We do so by thinking about or stewing over anger or anxiety; we may revel in our pride or laziness. We might invest time, energy, and resources that further convince us that we have every right to be so angry, anxious, prideful, and/or lazy. That trait, befriended, becomes a part of who we are, leading us to invest more time, energy, and resources to keep that trait active in our lives.
“O Lord, show us our fault and lead us not into the temptation of befriending negative traits.” God Almighty guides us to “trust in the Lord.” Trust His Word, which reveals the sin of anger, anxiety, pride, and laziness. His Word leads us “to do good” by receiving His grace that equips us for every good work. Living in God’s established grace of His Word and Sacraments will take time, energy, and resources. In the process, we will be giving attention to God’s revealed ways as we befriend faithfulness.
Faithfulness is a wonderful trait to befriend. With faithfulness, we live above and beyond the temporary confines of this fallen-in-sin world. Faithfulness will have us living with “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,” and which “will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). This is the Bible verse that concludes my sermons. We have our hearts and minds guarded through the preaching of the Word of God.
Faithfulness has us living with Divine confidence as we transverse through dark valleys in this life. Scripture explains key components of God-given faith in Hebrews 11:1--“Faith is the assurance of things hope for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faithfulness befriended enriches our assurance and conviction of “the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Amen!
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
March 2022
Witnesses to Christ!
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. And you also will bear witness because you have been with Me from the beginning.” (Jn. 15:26f)
As Christians, we praise the Holy Spirit for His leading us to and/or delivering to us the Word of God that witnesses to Jesus. We are edified with this enlightenment as “…faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We devote ourselves to the apostles’ witness because they were “with (Jesus) from the beginning.” We are also equipped with the complete Word of God in the Old and New Testaments knowing that “…no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
The midweek services for Faith Lutheran’s Lenten Services are entitled “Witnesses to Christ!” In these services, we will hear about witnesses who lived with Jesus during His three-year ministry. There will be prominent witnesses like John the Baptist who pointed to Christ as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29); Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha, as she chose the better by sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him. She also honored Jesus at another time, at His feet again, with “… a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair” (John 12:3). And surely, we will not forget Peter, John, and the rest of the disciples. Their witness involved some struggling that needed correction and there was one disciple, Judas Iscariot, who continued his way of rejection and left the fold. How sad! However, the other eleven and others carried on, giving powerful witness after Jesus’ resurrection. The church continues to devote herself to the apostles’ teaching. Their witness is foundational.
We will also consider other witnesses who were not followers during Jesus’ three-year ministry. They were outsiders during that time; however, they are recorded in Scripture with a witness to bear. We will consider Nicodemus who had that intimate, nighttime conversation with Christ about being “born from above (born again)” in John chapter 3. This same Nicodemus also helped Joseph of Arimathea care for the corpse of our Lord in John 19:38-42. There will be three other outsiders that have intriguing witnesses for us to consider such as Malchus, who had his ear cut off by Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane; Barabbas, the criminal who was scheduled to be crucified, yet was released with Christ his substitute; and Pontius Pilate, who knew what was right, yet failed to do it.
Considering these witnesses, we realize that God can use all people as witnesses. For some, we are assured of their witness as they continued to faithfully follow Jesus. For others, we can only speculate on how they ended up thinking about and witnessing for Jesus. Praise God for His mercy in sending the “Spirit of truth” (Holy Spirit) who bears witness about Jesus Christ, what He has built (the Church), His institutions of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar, and all that is recorded in Holy Scripture, the Word of God.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
February 2022
Resilient—Reflect and Go
“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men’…They left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” (Acts 5:29, 41)
Before these verses, the apostles were in prison because they had been teaching and caring for people in Jesus’ name. Then “an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life’” (the Life of Jesus Christ, Acts 5:19b-20). The angel was putting them right back into the setting where the Jewish leaders would address them again.
The apostles were brought before the Jewish council and reminded that they had been “strictly charged…to not teach in this Name” (Acts 5:28). They responded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). There was further discussion in which the apostles affirmed the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His ministry with the forgiveness of sins. The council was enraged and wanted to kill them. One member of the council suggested that they not go to extremes. So, they beat them and again “charged them to not speak in the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:40). This resulted in the apostles “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name” (Acts 5:41).
The apostles demonstrated resilience, the ability to carry on or bounce back. The apostles were resilient as they reflected on their situation. A first step of being resilient is to realize that there is hardship and suffering in this life. It happens to all of us. We can reflect upon personal hardships with suffering growing up, with our health, in relationships, in our jobs, etc. Yes, indeed, Jesus plainly explained about life in a fallen in sin world, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33a). There are some burdens that are greater than others; however, suffering is part of this world. God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, experienced suffering firsthand.
A second step in being resilient is to reflect upon good things in our lives; most especially God’s love and forgiveness. The disciples were set free. They were able to walk and talk; they had each other; and so on. We can be so wrapped up in the hardship and suffering that the good is not recognized, being either ignored or discarded. Accept that there is still good for you. In military training, soldiers are instructed to “hunt for the good stuff.” Soldiers can be in situations that take active effort to find the good stuff. When situations are extreme, hunt for the good. There will always be good in the cross of Jesus Christ representing the forgiveness of sins and a resurrected life.
The third step in being resilient is to analyze: Is what I am doing helping or hurting the situation? The apostles were following God clear direction, so even if they would be right back in harm’s way, what they were doing was helping because they were in God’s will. This led them to conclude that “they were counted worthy,” which had them rejoicing. Rejoicing would help them carry on boldly, and it has also helped the faithful through the ages to be courageous. We can enhance our resilience by analyzing our behaviors, asking, “Is what I am doing helping or hurting” my growing up, my health, my relationships, my job, etc. And remember, God has given you a relationship with Him.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
January 2022
Awareness While Still
“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).
A young child was riding in her car seat, and she was much quieter than normal. She was so quiet that I finally asked, “Is anyone else in this car?” “Um, yeah” came a soft voice. A quick glance to the backseat revealed the child straining to look up and out her window. I asked, “Do you see any birds?” “No.” “Planes?” “Yeah--well kind of—where the planes could be.”
As I am around preschoolers at SHINE Preschool, I witness them being very active and very aware; even more aware when they hold still--aware of the change of paraments, aware of a possible prop for chapel, aware of a cricket on the floor, aware of the smell of something cooking. The world is full of things to observe and appreciate. For these young ones, it is often their first time for something. The wonder of a fresh, new experience brings with it an approach to life of excitement and wonder.
As we age, we have “seen that” or “been there” or “done that.” This can cause our awareness of things that were exciting to be overlooked. Also, as we age, we might have the perception of carrying a heavy load, or the perception of shame and anxiety. We can start to think that it is “up to me,” causing us to not be aware of the wonder of some of the simpler things of life, like looking out the car window for planes, the intriguing movements of an insect, the smell of food cooking, etc.
Let us remember that Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd who clothes us with His righteousness. The shame and anxiety that we carry is shame and anxiety that we hold onto, but God does not want us to be so loaded down. Jesus pleads with us, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Some of those burdens are immense, and perhaps we have used them inappropriately to define ourselves. The unloading of shame and anxiety, and most all burdens, is not a one-time event. Often it is stuck on us, like superglue, and can be extra painful to try to tear it off too fast. God’s grace is always effective, but our sensitivities need steady care. The unloading is to be pursued with steadfast reception of God’s means of grace.
As we approach these powerful and beneficial gifts, we receive of God as a little one full of faith in what He offers--being aware of the miraculous spiritual truths of: 1) “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet…” (Psalm 119:105), 2) “as many of you were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves in Christ” (Galatians 3:27), and 3) “Take eat…drink of it all of you…for the forgiveness of sin” (Matthew 28:26-28).
The Divine Service is a time to be still. Like the child leaning and looking, there will be standing, sitting, responsive liturgy, and singing. All of this is unique from our daily routine and helps us to change gears so that our hearts and minds may be stilled of earthly concerns. With this stillness, we are served by God in the Divine Service with His grace. We are much quieter than normal, so we can be aware of the sights, sounds, smell, taste, and touch that is being served to us. We will not be looking for planes, rather we will be receiving Christ in ways He has established.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
December 2021
Take Care of Yourself
“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You.” John 17:1
This is the beginning of Jesus Christ’s “High Priestly Prayer.” This first petition is for Himself, next is a petition for His disciples, and then “for those who will believe in Me through their (the disciples) word” (John 17:20). That includes all Christians. Jesus demonstrates in this prayer the proper action to take care of yourself.
When we fly on a commercial airline, there are certain safety precautions that are identified: how to buckle up, where the exits are located, how the flotation device works, and “in case of loss of cabin pressure, the oxygen masks will drop down automatically. Pull the mask down and out and place over your own nose and mouth and breathe normally. Please place your mask on before assisting others.” Take care of yourself so that you can care for others.
We can imagine the turmoil if the this isn’t done. Let’s consider a plane with twenty parents with sixty children younger than four. Also, on this plane are ten adults who are assisting ten disabled people. Picture sixty children, many of whom are pulling off their masks with their parents passed out. Picture ten adults passed out next to the disabled people, desperately wanting their companions to awake. This extreme example amplifies that we shall take proper care of ourselves for others’ sake as well as for our own sake.
This concept can be daily applied to life, not just emergency situations. Let us consider our physical health. What do I eat and drink? Am I getting enough good sleep? Do I exercise? All these physical health concerns have proven guidelines that will help us live to our optimum physical health so that we can then be able to assist others at our best. Physical abilities are normally added to mankind for about twenty-five years and then those abilities begin to be taken away. Many enter a season of life in which we depend on those who assist us; however, there are many things we can do to delay that season. Praise God for the vibrant, healthy helpers who care for themselves so that they can care for us.
This concept is also to be applied to our emotional, social, psychological, and financial well-being. Take time to research and pursue healthy practices in each of these areas. This is not being selfish; it is equipping you to assist others.
Back to Jesus’ example of pursuing spiritual care for yourself so you can assist others. This assistance has everlasting benefits. Like the other facets of our lives, there are healthy spiritual practices (those built and instituted by Christ Himself), and the multitude of other unhealthy spiritual practices that are damaging now, with some leading to everlasting torment.
In physical training, there are often points of discomfort--one more lap! There are points of discomfort in having that necessary conversation with “so & so” for your emotional, social, and psychological health. There are points of discomfort to make and hold to a budget. There are also points of discomfort in doing what we should with our spiritual life. Be of good cheer because God’s grace is continually being offered. Take care of yourself for others’ sake, your own sake, and for God’s sake.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
November 2021
Mercy Drives Mission
“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 23:6).
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” because “the Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). The teachings of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod highlight God’s trait of mercy. His mercy is shown foremost in Jesus Christ’s (our Shepherd’s) work on the cross. The benefits of His saving work are distributed in His ongoing ministry with the means of grace, which are His Word and Sacraments that provide the forgiveness of sin. Therein is God’s mercy that follows us all the days of our lives and provides access for us to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
As we contemplate our earthly lives, we see many joys along with many challenges. We benefit from godly direction with God’s continual assurance that promotes living life to its fullest. Lord, grant us the wisdom to be benefited by You. As we carry on, we are to be reminded that mankind was originally formed in the image of God, Who is eternal. Ecclesiastes 3:11 assures us that God “has put eternity into man’s heart.” Many have tried to ignore this truth and suppress what the heart knows full well, but that realism is present and continues to work on us until our last breath. It is beneficial to contemplate what is to come after this earthly life. Scripture is the source for proper guidance as we contemplate.
The faithful are to receive God’s abundant mercy to have our “cups overflow” (Psalm 23:5). For those on the outside, unsure of what should be thought or avoiding God’s revealed truth in Scripture, the realism of an eternal life going on and on and on can be overwhelming. God’s Word, the focal point of which is Jesus Christ’s saving work—God’s greatest mercy, “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). O Lord, continue to draw dear souls to You with Your mercy found specifically in Jesus Christ.
Mercy of God for mankind in Jesus Christ is to be shared. Jesus has set His faithful on that mission, “Go therefore and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). God’s mercy for mankind stirs the Christian with compassion to be imitators of God so that we seek opportunities to serve others. This includes serving others with worldly help for this present life. This serving is to be done faithfully with credit going to where credit is due, God almighty. Therefore, with mercy for the person’s eternal life as well as for their earthly life, missions shall include proclamation of Jesus Christ and His saving work. God’s mercy is through Jesus Christ which includes the Church He builds and His instituted methods to distribute His grace in the Word and Sacraments.
We are blessed and delighted to be the specific target of God’s mercy. God, enlighten us to allow Your continual outpouring so that our cups overflow to others as we partake in missions far and near.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
October 2021
Humans
“For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).
Humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation as we were originally made in the image of God. Sin has marred that image. However, in Jesus Christ, humans can be renewed in God’s image. Knowing how we came to be, and how we are to be impacted, is crucial for respecting our life in this present time and for life everlasting.
“You (Almighty God) formed my inward parts….” This refers to our bodies with inner organs and all the complexity of a biological organism. The more we learn about the process of our beginning, our conception in “my mother’s womb,” the humbler we are. At conception, your mother had provided half of your genetic information--the information of who you are as a living being, both physical components and some personality information. That information was unique to that particular gamete formation (for the lady, an egg). This egg was available to form you for short time, only about twenty-four hours.
Your dad provided the other half of your genetic information. He had provided hundreds of millions of gametes (for the man, sperm) with half of the genetic information, each one of them being unique. There were many challenges for those gametes, and less than one hundred arrive at the egg. Scientists have recorded a flash of light, or “spark,” at the moment of conception (when one sperm enters the egg). At that time, you had all the genetic information that you have now, you were complete: boy or girl, color of eyes, and the works. God had set up the whole system, even motivating your mom and dad, as He began to “knit” you with that “spark.”
God then continued to “knit (you) together in (your) mother’s womb” with many more complex actions. God continues to provide us with nutrients and even our breath (“…He gives mankind life, breath, and everything” Acts 17:25). Let us join the Psalmist as he says, “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14a).
There is so much more to praise God for concerning His gift of biological life. Enjoy learning about what mankind knows so far. However, humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation, so He is “not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, He provides means to impact us. He provides “…Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). The blessed Holy Spirit uses the Gospel to impact us so that we believe in Jesus Christ with His saving work. Praise God for the Holy Spirit because “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). With God given faith in Jesus Christ, we have security now and will have everlasting peace in God’s kingdom. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). The Gospel (Good News) is the forgiveness of sin earned by Jesus Christ and distributed to us in the Word and Sacraments.
Humans are God’s pinnacle of Creation, and we are the reason God “…gave His only Son (Jesus Christ), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
September 2021
Teach Me
“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God” (Psalm 143:10a).
“Teach me.” When we request this, we are seeking to be enlightened, gain understanding, and actually be changed in our comprehension and what we can do. I could ask this of “Betty Crocker,” or some other cooking expert, so I could learn to bake a cobbler. There are a multitude of specialized skills where we seek out someone to teach us a certain concept or procedure. “Teach me to do Your will” goes a step further-- requesting to be developed by the will of another Person. Psalm 143:10 assures us that that other Person is God, hence the capital “P.”
In our society, September is a big learning month for our youth. They have had their summer break and now it is time for school. Printed and digital resources will be used. Teachers, instructors, and professors will set up a plan to cover a certain amount of information. When those resources are in accord with the Word of God, we encourage and demand our youth to strive hard to fit the Psalmist’s request--“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.” Faith Lutheran is blessed to have SHINE Preschool in which the curriculum is in accord with God’s Word shared by Christian teachers. We welcome the children and their households in September as we begin this noble venture of being God’s instruments to teach His will.
However, many facets of what is considered education in our society is not founded on the Word of God, nor respectful of it. Some entities go so far as to be antagonistic against God’s Word. Christians benefit by being aware of who is trying to teach. Sources should be scrutinized. For our confession of faith, there is a publishing company (Concordia Publishing House) that has theologians who do a doctrinal review for anything that they print to distribute. With these resources, we can be confident that what is being presented has been scrutinized by a theologian of our confession. Nevertheless, we are still to receive these resources with an active mind by continually asking, “What does this mean?” This practice promotes a deeper comprehension for us, as well as further conversations with other Christians.
Concerning our source of information, we are to be alert, for “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:20-21). This has been a challenging situation throughout the ages when the “state” does not have regard for the Word of God. There are some new intense challenges concerning the information that is to be taught under the authority of the “state”; however, this is not a new situation. This tension has been constant throughout history with more intense times and more peaceful times. “O Lord grant us steadfastness in holding to your truths through this time.
Through this all, we may find ourselves at odds with the “state,” other institutions, and false doctrine. A consistent psalm to sing, or prayer to pray is “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.”
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
August 2021
What’s Next?
“So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would me” (Philemon 17).
The Apostle Paul (“me”) was writing to Philemon (“you”) a “beloved fellow worker,” (vs. 1) concerning a servant named Onesimus (“him”). Onesimus had been a servant previously to Philemon and had violated some standard which made Onesimus “useless” (vs. 11) to Philemon. However, Onesimus had become a “child” (vs. 10) of faith to Paul. Paul sends Onesimus with this letter to restore Onesimus to his role with Philemon. How would it turn out? Paul was confident that Philemon considered him a partner and presented the possibility of the two of them in a proper working and believing relationship. We do not know Philemon’s response. There were many possibilities before him, and this letter may have caught him by surprise.
When I was thirty-eight years old, I was at a church meeting. Our small congregation had a retired man who was serving in a temporary capacity as pastor. The Circuit Visitor was at our meeting to help us. During the meeting, the Circuit Visitor looked at me and asked, “Why don’t you become a pastor?” I quickly responded with a giggle and said, “Oh no! Give me until I am fifty, maybe then.” I was surprised at my answer, being a pastor was not something I had considered. “Lord help me!” The question put the possibility before me. Many things happened in the next eight months. It was a time for focused prayer and diligent discernment. At the end of those eight months, we were on our way to Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The possibilities before Philemon and me were within our skill sets, reasonable for our stage of life, and a surprise as it was presented to us. Remember, Onesimus had been “useless” to Philemon; therefore, likely he was surprised to be asked to take him back. There were multitudes of unknowns with each possibility. Some are quite exciting to think about and pursue and others are not. Things are to be properly discerned. Once that possibility becomes the probability, it is best to focus on the exciting unknowns. We are to address the negative unknowns so that they are not an issue. Our biggest issue in 1998 was that we were making payments on two homes, one in Spokane, a past home which we were awkward distance landlords for, and the home we lived in in Idaho, bought within the year. Our realtor warned us that the housing market was very stagnant. That issue was addressed and both houses sold in less than a month. The rest of the smaller negative unknowns were still addressed, knowing that we had better not fight too hard, lest I be like Jonah.
At July’s council meeting I mentioned, “Maybe when I am seventy years old; I have no real desires to retire, but that is a possibility.” It is within my skill set, reasonable for that stage of life, and it caught me by surprise. “Lord guide me!” I am honored to be serving as pastor at Faith; however, this too must end someday. In my seventies seems reasonable. May we approach that exciting time addressing any challenges.
For each of us, there are a variety of possibilities for us to consider if they are within are skill set and reasonable for our stage of life. It is best to pray, “Lord guide me!” We also look for advice from reputable sources as we pursue what’s next.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
July 2021
Where Law and Gospel Are to be Placed
“This book of Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
Charlotte and I are reading the book of Joshua for evening devotions. The above verse grabbed me with the strong emphasis on the Law. “Well, of course, Joshua is in Old Testament and all the Old Testament is Law, right?” No. There is plenty of Gospel in the Old Testament as there is also plenty of Law—intense Law—in the New Testament.
Once that concept was settled, I then focused or “make your way prosperous, and then you have good success.” This is not referring to a way to earn eternal life; rather it is instructing us in our life in this world. Therefore, for a better life, do the right thing, work hard, make a godly stand, be kind, use “Scripture…for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training…” (2 Timothy 3:16), and remember that “the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Turning away from this law by doing what is convenient, easy, or wrong brings all kinds of problems in our earthly life. This can make us feel unworthy, therein avoiding Christ’s ministry through His Church—dangerous territory.
Martin Luther wrote concerning where to place/apply the Law and where to place/apply the Gospel. He was commenting on Galatians 2:14 in which Paul was challenging Peter on the misuse of Law and Gospel.
Whoso then can rightly judge between the Law and the Gospel, let him thank
God, and know he is a right divine. In the time of temptation, I confess that I
myself do not know how to do it as I ought. Now the way to discern the one
from the other is to place the Gospel in heaven, and the Law on the earth….
Wherefore if thy conscience be terrified with the sense and feeling of sin, think
this with thyself: Thou art now remaining on earth: let there the “donkey” labour:
there let him serve and carry the burden that is laid upon him: that is, let the
body, with its members, be subject to the Law. But when thou mountest up into
heaven, then leave the “donkey” with his burden upon the earth, for the
conscience hath nothing to do with the Law, or works, or with the earthly
righteousness. So doth the “donkey” remain in the valley, but the conscience
ascendeth with Isaac into the mount, knowing nothing at all about works
thereof, but only looking to the remission of sins and pure righteousness
offered and freely given unto us in Christ. (Commentary on Galatians, pg. 61-62).
We are continually being formed by God with His Law. This Law chisels our stubborn “thorns” and firmly forms us back into the “image of God.” This “image of God” is not perfected on this side of glory; nevertheless, the more He works on us, the more “prosperous and successful” we become.
As Christians, we are continually presented the “remission of sins and the pure righteousness offered and freely given unto us in Christ.” Enjoy these blessings found in the Word and Sacraments. With this Gospel we are worthy to be with God forevermore.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
June 2021
The Convicted are Loved
“And when He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment…” (John 16:8).
We are in the Pentecost Season of the Church Year. The blessed Holy Spirit is leading us, carrying us, dragging us to be nourished, strengthened, and refreshed with Jesus Christ’s gifts of love (true love) and His forgiveness.
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” This was a popular song in the mid-1960s sung by Jackie Deshannon to the music of Burt Bacharach. Pause for a moment to ponder the words and identify what you think when you hear that phrase—possibly the feeling of being loved by being appreciated, honored, or welcomed. This could be applied to the four loves of the Greek language, depending on the present situations of our lives: love of a special intimate spouse (eros); love of family members enduring through challenges (storge); and love of friends who are caring and sharing in life (phileo). There is also love that is given, like a charity, without expecting anything from us, true love that settles us in the security of being loved (agape).
I trust that something of those four loves came to mind. If not, develop and expand your thoughts of what “love, sweet love” is, and it will likely fit into one or more of those categories. In this present existence, mankind is hampered with sin, which can and will distort each of those loves. This leaves us thinking, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love” because we tend to be “looking for love in all the wrong places” (country song from 1980 by Johnny Lee). Long before these songs appeared, God the Father and God the Son sent mankind the blessed Holy Spirit to have us receive God’s love. God’s love is plentiful, filling our cup so it runs over to impact the people around us.
The Holy Spirit accomplishes this divine work by convicting us of sin. He convicts us of not fully or rightly believing in Jesus—what He has done and what He is doing. The Holy Spirit convicts us in righteousness because we are not righteous by what we think, say, or do. Our only righteousness is from Christ, who has done the Father’s will perfectly and freely distributes His “breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14) to protect our hearts. “For with the heart one believes and is justified [made righteous]” (Romans 10:10a). Our righteousness is from Christ who is reigning with all authority. The Holy Spirit also convicts us in judgment, for the “ruler” of this fallen world, with all his deceptions, has been judged. Any behavior that follows Satan’s deceptions is judged as guilty.
This divinely loving conviction by the Holy Spirit set us up to crave the forgiveness earned and offered by Christ. With His forgiveness received, we are at peace with God; worthy to be His heir. We are to be at peace with others and ourselves, living with His grace lavished upon us.
Yes indeed, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love” of the blessed Holy Spirit’s convicting work so that we are humbled and will receive what God has established for us. As Christians, we are appreciated as children of God, honored to be heirs of God, and welcomed as worthy members of the body of Christ.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
May 2021
Sowing Seeds
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
During my second year of coaching collegiate football, we were arriving in the opponents’ community, Tacoma, Washington, on a Friday evening before the Saturday game. It was November. Can you guess the weather? Yep, raining with the ground soaked. We normally went to practice on the game field on Friday. That would have been nice because it was AstroTurf. Not this time, there where high school games being played. The head coach asked what we thought. Several ideas were shared: 1) “Let’s brave the elements, we will have to tomorrow.” 2) “They need to get out and run, get this bus ride out of them.” 3) “Let’s go down to the dining area in the motel. We can do some exercises in there. It is too miserable outside.”
After about five minutes the head coach announced to the team, “Get to your rooms and get on Friday’s practice gear. Be back on the bus in twenty minutes.” The coach who desired to stay dry whispered, “This is ridiculous, someone is going to get hurt.” I responded, “It’s not our call.” He continued his comments among some players.
As the players loaded, some were less enthused than normal for Friday’s practice. The coach who wanted to go to the dining area avoided the other coaches, who would not encourage his complaints, and moped around at the wet and muddy practice site. The head coach asked me, “What is up with him?” I responded, “Oh, he has been sowing seeds of discontent ever since you announced the practice site.” The head coached sighed, “Seeds of discontent are not what we need.”
That assistant’s seeds of discontent impacted some athletes for a bit; thankfully, we had some strong leaders that rose above that coach’s complaints. We were very competitive the next day. The seeds of discontent did, however, reap discontent from the head coach. That was the last year I coached with that assistant. “Whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” That example acts as a curb and guide for me on my response to what is being done. It has also convicted me of being someone who did, or was tempted to, sow seeds of discontent.
I encourage you to read Galatians 6:1-10 to see the context. These concepts apply in all areas of our lives, not just sowing seeds of discontent. There are many other positive and negative relationship seeds to sow. I encourage us to apply the concepts to sowing seeds that deal with our spiritual health, physical health, financial health, work ethic, etc., realizing that what one sows, “that will he also reap.”
The Galatians passage urges Christians to “sow to the Spirit” and we “will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (vs. 8). The first and foremost activity of “Sowing to the Spirit” is to receive from the means that Jesus Christ instituted for the forgiveness of sin. Christ builds His Church to preach the Word, announce the forgiveness of sins, administer Baptism, and distribute the Sacrament of the Altar, all of which include the forgiveness of sins. “Where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation” (Small Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar, “What is the benefit…”).
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
April 2021
Pray, Obey, Trust
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name…’” (Matthew 6:9-13).
On my bike ride home from church, I have opportunity to observe what some people are willing to publicly promote with bumper stickers, window decals, and the like. Some of the messages lead me to chuckle; others have me shaking my head. With several blocks of my ride being through a university campus, I have new ones each year.
The one this article will expound on was next to the county courthouse. The first day I read in big letters: “PRAY…OBEY…TRUST.” I noticed there were other words, but I did not stop to read the smaller print. I reflected on the message trying to empathize with a possible judge, lawyer, or prosecuting attorney. I thought “good deal.” When I traveled by again, I was determined to read all of it. It read:
“PRAY according to God’s plan.” Here, here! Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer which can prayed as is or used as a guide to form our personal prayers. You may have other guides for your prayer life—good; carry on. Another healthy guideline is to pray with boldness and confidence concerning issues revealed in Scripture, such as the forgiveness of sins earned by Christ, God’s love for you, His promises of grace, and the like. However, we are instructed with issues not revealed in Scripture to pray “Lord willing” (James 4:15), “not my will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
“OBEY God’s commands.” Yes, of course, this is the Christians’ desire. God has set forth the Ten Commandments along with many other commands in order that we can be at peace with Him, ourselves, and our neighbors. Obeying God’s commands also helps us be a delightful light shining in a sin-darkened world. Be careful not to let this aspect of the sanctified life infringe on your concept of righteousness, which comes only through Jesus Christ. We can be enticed to have boastful pride when we actually are behaving according to God’s commands. The flipside is also extremely dangerous, knowing that we do not obey as we should and being wrought with bitter anxiety.
“TRUST God’s unknowable plan.” This concept I thought was OK for a bit, but shortly thereafter I was shaking my head. We do pray Lord willing, Your will be done concerning earthly temporal things which are not revealed in Scripture. So, yes, trust God as we pray for these issues that have not been revealed to us. However, God does have a knowable plan for us to receive His grace, live with the fruit of the Spirit (“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23), and be strengthened in His Word and promises. This knowable plan has been revealed. He also has an everlasting knowable plan of His great love for us by providing everlasting life. With Easter (April 4th this year), we have God’s knowable plan of Christ’s victory that makes the believer a co-heir with Him now and forevermore.
I desire the opportunity to converse with the owner of that vehicle to affirm the positive message and joy I have had thinking about the sticker. I also desire to explain that God has many knowable plans that we are to trust as well.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
March 2021
TED
Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
It is a delightful experience to be with people of all ages; being the pastor at Faith Lutheran provides me this opportunity. Everyone, regardless of age, has experience, thoughts, feelings, etc. that are worth dealing with, but not necessarily to affirm.
At a chapel for SHINE Preschool, I was going over the Lord’s Prayer and said, “Later we will pray, ‘Our Father who art in heaven. . .’ What comes after that?” An excited child exclaimed, “Hallowed be my name!” I dealt with that response by emphasizing the enunciation of “Thy name”—God’s holy name. As I reflected on the child’s response, I realized that many households do not hear older English with “Thy,” but they will hear “my.” Hence, the child could have thought I had not been speaking clearly when I said, “Thy.” This is reasonable confusion, not just for that child but many in our society. This was an example of something to be dealt with but not affirmed.
I think most Christians, and even the incarnate Christ, would have dealt with that statement by not affirming it. So, what is it that Jesus so affirms about children that we are to “turn (repent) and become like little children?” Last September I preached on Matthew 18, and the theme is worth repeating. The sermon title was “TED.”
T Trust. “OK, jump!” hears the child on the edge of the swimming pool. Splash! She jumps into the strong hands and welcoming face of her dad. Children trust those who have proven themselves trustworthy. God has proven Himself trustworthy through all the ages and most specifically by Jesus’ suffering, death, and victorious resurrection. Worthy of our trust is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ; on Him we fix our eyes.
E Eager. Children demonstrate their eagerness on the edge of a swimming pool with eagerness to run. Also note a child’s eagerness with a wrapped present.
Christians are eager for the life God has for them: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). We are to be eager to receive His gifts of love. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Christ instituted the Word and Sacraments by which He distributes His grace, gifts, and love. Christians are to be childlike in being eager to receive from God.
D Dependent. Children are dependent on others for their bed, house, food, transportation—for their survival. The child jumping into the parent’s arms is dependent on the parent catching them. Christians are—all life is—dependent on God for everything. “You knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13b). We are dependent on God for our ongoing temporal life: “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season” (Psalm 145:15). Christians are dependent on God for the nurturing of eternal life through His Word and Sacraments.
May we practice being a TED in these affirmed childlike ways.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
February 2021
Eyes on Jesus
“O come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2)
The Lenten Season begins February 17 with Ash Wednesday. This year the midweek services will be considering the variety of human eyes that behold Jesus our Lord. God the Father and angels also have their eyes on Jesus. For mankind, there are the negative misjudging eyes, betraying eyes, sleepy eyes, denying eyes, murdering eyes, and worldly eyes. These characteristics can be identified among the disciples, Pharisees, Romans, and onlookers. There are also trusting eyes that belong to believers who were disciples, and some had been Pharisees, Romans, and onlookers.
God came to dwell among us in the Person of Jesus Christ, who provided lessons, miracles, and care that lead us to keep our eyes fixed on Him. He continues to be with us “always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19) through His Divine omnipresence and through what He has established. During His three-year earthly ministry, people were curious, delighted, confused, and frustrated with Him. Curiously, the disciples proclaimed, “Who is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him” (Mark 4:41b). Delighted, Mary Magdalene “announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’” (Luke 20:18a), referring to Jesus--resurrected. Nicodemus expressed confusion concerning Jesus’ teaching of being “born from above” (born again); “Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’” (John 3:3-4). Those frustrated with Jesus are varied but can be summed up by the Good Friday chant of “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21).
Following the forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, people no longer had the body on which to fix their eyes. For them and for us, we fix our eyes on His Word and what He has established. Christ builds the Church through which He proclaims the Word. The forgiveness of sins is granted through His Word which has instituted Confession and Absolution among the believers, the water and Word of Holy Baptism, and His true body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar.
People in the first century and following have been curious. In Athens, they inquired of the Apostle Paul, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?” (Acts 17:19b). We can personally apply this as people are curious about what we believe, teach, and confess. People have also been delighted in the nurturing we benefit from, as was the Apostle John who wrote, “I rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth….” (2 John 1:4a). We can personally apply this as we have our eyes on children, and all dear souls, in the church. There are also records of the confused and frustrated in Scripture. The early Christians dealt with people not responding to God’s love when they were presenting it; they were mocked, beaten, and martyred. These are situations where the Church continues to persevere.
Through it all, we are to “fix our eyes of Jesus,” receiving His truth, following His ways, and enjoying our journey as He draws us ever closer.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
January 2021
Holy Mountain
“They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).
Christ ruling His kingdom is peaceful, Divine, and everlasting. Come, Lord Jesus, with Your kingdom evermore powerfully into our lives.
The angels sang of “peace on earth” as Christ entered the world as a True Man in order that He could truly die that in Him, being True God at the same time, He would pay for the sins of the world—all sins! The angels witnessed this fallen world and knew very well that the peace of which they sang did not extend further than among those who fear, love, and trust in Christ. The world and the devil take no rest as they join forces to antagonize our sinful flesh. Dear Faithful, retreat to your refuge, your eternal dwelling place, His holy mountain, carried along in the Savior’s everlasting arms.
Retreat! The mighty military king of the Old Testament was King David. He knew and practiced retreat. Saul, David’s king, tossed a javelin at David more than once, and David retreated. He did not grab the javelin to hurt or destroy Saul, even though David’s combative abilities showed him capable. David later had Saul in a vulnerable position when Saul was intent on hurting and destroying David. David carefully cut a piece of cloth from Saul’s robe as he did “not hurt or destroy” the one whom God had established. These acts of retreat caused plenty of commotion for David and his companions. Retreating was humbling, and some of David’s companions were frustrated for his choosing to “not hurt or destroy.”
Retreat! Almighty God in the flesh retreated into the security of God’s will. Chief priests approached Christ, a crowd with swords and clubs accompanying them. Jesus had at His disposal “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to strike down that crowd. However, “They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain”; therefore, Christ retreated into that crowd’s hands, which was into God’s will to fulfill Scripture.
Certainly, David wielded his sword mightily against the enemy; consider Goliath and the many military victories of David to establish his kingdom. Those enemies of David were not people of God, and they were effectively subdued. However, King Saul was part of David’s group, confused and twisted as Saul was, he still had received from God.
Certainly, Jesus Christ wielded His authority. He did so powerfully through His teachings and miracles. He also did so dramatically against those who were abusive in their practices in the Lord’s house, making a whip and overturning tables. There is no mention of people being “hurt or destroyed.” This is an intriguing Biblical scene to ponder. As we do so, make sure we go as far as Scripture but not further. As Christians, we are to apply the lesson to make a stand, be resolute, as we do not hurt or destroy.
Our Christian walk with Divine peace involves retreating into God’s everlasting arms on His holy mountain. On that mountain, He spread His arms welcoming us to His will—granting us the forgiveness of sins. This giving of the forgiveness of sins continues to be distributed through God’s means of grace—the Word and Sacraments.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
December 2020
Jesse’s Stump
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1).
The people of God had a united kingdom under King David and his son Solomon. David was the son of Jesse, and from that lineage would come the Messiah, the Christ. We hear in the Christmas story that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because they “belonged to the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4).
So, what took place from the time of that united kingdom until Christmas, that left only a stump? That united kingdom was wrought with clamoring for power and ended up being divided. The divided kingdom was then more vulnerable. When the prophet Isaiah was about eighteen years old, he witnessed the northern part of the divided kingdom being carried away in the Assyrian Captivity. Symbolically, God’s people were a split tree, yet still a tree. Isaiah prophesied that the rest of the kingdom would also be cut off to leave just a stump. The people he prophesied to were somewhat complacent, thinking, “Oh, it’s not that bad,” and they paid little attention to the prophet. The Babylonian Captivity took place about eighty years after Isaiah died. Just a stump was left of God’s people—a sad situation.
However, a “Shoot” that grew branches and produced fruit would come forth from that stump. Jesus Christ is that “Shoot.” This analogy of the stump connected to God’s people is a fitting analogy. For a tree, the roots below the ground are somewhere between one and a half times to eight times more extensive than what we see above ground. The differences vary so much due to different species of trees and a great diversity of conditions for tree/root growth. Nevertheless, what is below the ground is more than what is above ground. The sending forth of shoots from that vast system of roots occurs in many species of trees.
For God’s people, the time of exile was painful. For a tree to be cut to the stump is a big setback. For God’s people, there was a time of restoration as they returned from exile intent on receiving the Word of God. There was not much numerical growth, but they grew internally, becoming stronger in the Word. For a tree, the roots store nutrients, making a comeback possible. God’s people went through a time with no prophets before Christ entered at a very opportune time. For a tree, there are different seasons in which there is dormancy and a readiness to respond when conditions are favorable.
Jesus is the “Shoot” that came forth from the lineage or stump of Jesse. Jesus the King continues to draw people to His kingdom. How long will His kingdoms of power (all creation) and grace (His Church that distributes His gifts) remain? “No one knows…but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). However, we do know He is preparing His eternal kingdom of glory for those residing in His kingdom of grace, whom He has drawn from the kingdom of power through His Word and Sacraments.
As we reside in the kingdom of grace, let us be assured of Almighty God’s unlimited supply of mercy and grace that He desires to pour out to His people through that Shoot that came forth from the stump of Jesse.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
November 2020
Carry On
“On the Sabbath Day they rested according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56b).
This was the disciples’ behavior on Holy Saturday, the day between Jesus’ crucifixion and His Victorious Resurrection. It would be counter to Scripture to compliment the disciples for patiently holding onto Jesus’ promise that He would rise after three days. That promise had not been appreciated though Jesus had, several times, explained what would happen in Jerusalem. However, when Jesus explained about His ensuing abuse and death, it was argued. Peter exclaimed, “Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You” (Matthew 16:22).
Jesus did die by crucifixion! The disciples had spent three years with Jesus seeing and being involved with supernatural miracles, signs, wonders, powerful teaching; they were impacted by Jesus. On that Holy Saturday it was suddenly over. They were likely challenged with unmet expectations of what being a disciple would be like. They had been with Him as He so confidently and boldly dealt with nature and opponents for three years. They had left their occupations. It had been an exciting three years, but now Jesus was dead. What were they thinking was going to happen? In the midst of their disillusionment, they observed the Sabbath.
Hold it, Jesus proclaimed that “…the Son of Man [Jesus] is the Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). Did they discount Jesus’ Lordship? No. They were observing “the Sabbath Day…according to the commandment.” They fell in with the discipline of their youth, with the discipline of their spiritual practice, with the discipline of being with Christ for three years as He observed the Sabbath properly. Our spiritual disciplines will be the way of discipleship in the midst of disillusionment. As we go through this life, we will have ideas of some possibilities for ourselves, others, and God. These ideas can be illusions of grandeur or just immature, unfounded expectations. Those illusions need to be burst, and it is healthy to be grounded in spiritual disciplines to withstand that blow.
Seminary Professor Dr. Rev. David Schmitt shared an experience from his college years. His Scripture reading and prayer time was determined by his mood. That worked fairly well for him; life at that time was moving along as he expected. His act of devotion was a delight for him. For his roommate, however, Scripture reading and prayer were a discipline done every morning at the same time; unless he had something going on at his devotion time, then he would get up earlier. David finally asked, “How can you be interested in devotions at the same time every day?” He replied, “You assume I’m interested.” Shocked, David said, “You’re not?” He answered, “Not always…but I bring myself before God every day. If I am not interested, then that is what He has to deal with that day. I don’t stop being His child because I’m having a bad day.” Rev. Schmitt explained, “That conversation changed my perspective about devotion and discipline...the practice itself is important…particularly when we are struggling.”
Christians carry on with our spiritual disciplines in the face of disillusionments about ourselves, others, and God. We also be steadfast with spiritual disciplines in times of great joy and immense blessings. He is our God, and we heed His ways.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
October 2020
David—Law and Gospel
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).
Martin Luther commented on the above verse: “…God wishes to turn us away from everything else that exists outside of Him and to draw us to Himself.” God is active throughout Scripture, history, and now, turning people, that is, having people “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (John the Baptist Matthew 3:2 and Jesus Christ Matthew 4:17). The literal meaning of the word repentance is “with thinking, be turned.” The Holy Spirit brings His tools to work on our thoughts to have the turning take place. A main tool is the Word of God in which God is making us holy (sanctified) souls: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17). In God’s Word we receive His Law as a boundary (curb) of what is right and wrong. Along with this, God’s Law reveals us to ourselves (mirror) as people who are sinful and need a Savior. God’s Word of Law also leads us on paths of righteousness, showing us what pleases God and what thoughts, behaviors, and actions we should pursue (guide).
King David had God’s Law applied to him in 2 Samuel 12. The prophet Nathan used a creative sermon using a parable of a rich man with many flocks of sheep. However, to feed his guest, that rich man took the lamb of a dear soul who had only one lamb. David recognized the lack of pity and selfishness of the rich man in the parable. David responded with, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity” (2 Samuel 12:5-6). David identified the “curb” that was crossed with the selfish action and the “guide” of what should be done with paying fourfold and having pity for other people. God’s Word, the Law, was at work on David.
Then the prophet Nathan held a “mirror” in front of David with “You are the man! Thus says the Lord…” (2 Samuel 12:7). Nathan further explained how God had delivered David from the previous vengeful King Saul and the great bounty David presently had as king. Nathan further reflected to David the deception without pity that David carried out concerning one of his own soldiers--he had murdered in order to get that soldier’s wife.
Nathan receive the response that God’s Law draws forth when David confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13a). David faithfully recognize his sin was ultimately against God. All sin is the breaking of the First Commandment (“You shall have no other gods”) as mankind thinks, talks, and does what is outside the will of God.
Nathan then shared good news, the Gospel, as he told David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die” (2 Samuel 2:13b). With sin “put away,” people live and even though we die an earthly death, with Christ’s forgiveness received, we will live.
God used the Law and Gospel on David to draw him to be a better man as well as developing in David a great trust in what God has done, is doing, and will do. God continues to have His Law and Gospel delivered so that, as we hear it, read it, and study it, He draws us into His everlasting kingdom.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
September 2020
Build My Church
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered, “…on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:16, 18).
Here we have Peter’s confession and Christ’s response. Peter’s/Christians’ God-enabled confession is that Jesus is “the Son of the living God” with all authority, who served mankind by giving His life to set us free. Christ’s response to this confession is the uniting of the faithful to be the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) to receive nourishment, truth, and forgiveness through what Christ builds.
The Church receives the Word of God as Divine truth. We can identify situations in history and now in which those who parade under the banner of “the Church” were or are deceived and did or do not receive the Word as God presents it. Then, even within the Church that strives to properly receive the Word, there are sinful people who fall short of the Divine. But this does not invalidate the Word of God. Christ builds the Church with people He has called out of the world, “and the gates of hell shall not (does not) prevail against it.” May those of the Church continually pursue “…teaching them to observe all the I [Christ is speaking] have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).
The Word of God is Divine truth. We are assured that Jesus is the Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” (John 1:1, 14a).
As Christ builds His Church, we dare not neglect His teaching of the night that He was betrayed. Jesus was gathered with those He instructed for them to receive a special outpouring of His grace. He gave thanks and took the bread and wine. He assured them of His intimate closeness—they were receiving His body and blood. He would die in less than a day. This act can be understood as our Lord and Savior’s last will and testament. It is a sad situation when anyone’s last will and testament is neglected.
Christ then instituted two other acts as He builds His Church. During the first day of His resurrection, Jesus stood among the disciples and “…breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; it you withhold forgiveness it is withheld” (John 20:22-23). The Church does this corporately through called servants. Each Christian also has this responsibility to use in their personal life. We are to reflect on the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
The second act He instituted was at the end of the forty days after resurrection. He was on a mountain, again with His disciples when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” (Matt. 28:19-20a).
These Bible passages verify that Christ builds His Church in order that His Word and Sacraments are distributed to the members of His body by other members of His body. The purpose is to loosen us from sin, to have Divine forgiveness, to set us free as children of God. Let us remember that God worked with less than perfect disciples then and continues to do so this day. We praise Christ for building His Church.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
August 2020
His Everlasting Arms
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms...” (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Daniel was a prophet who lived from 605 to 530 BC, seventy-five years with God as His refuge. He lived during the time of the Babylonian Exile (586-538 BC). Daniel, a nineteen-year-old, and many of God’s people were taken away. Daniel’s spiritual, emotional, psychological, and social health were impacted, and there were challenges to his physical health as well.
Let us first consider his physical wellbeing. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were selected to be in the king’s palace. They would get their new society’s finest food. However, their new society did not observe Mosaic Law on food. The head servant was concerned with their food desires. He said, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So, you would endanger my head with the king.” Daniel might be putting other people at risk! However, Daniel’s refuge was God. Daniel convinced the servant to let him prove God’s ways were healthy. His physical health was later challenged with the lion’s den, which resulted from Daniel being steadfast in his spiritual practice. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also had their physical health challenged with a fiery furnace resulting from their steadfast devotion.
These physical challenges were before these four souls as they were steadfastly nurturing their spiritual health. In these accounts, we witness their emotional and psychological strength and stability. We witness this often in numerous Biblical accounts with other faithful souls and with ourselves. This follows Jesus’ answer about which commandment is the most important. “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). Jesus leads us to take care of our spiritual health first and foremost.
How about Daniel and his companions’ social health? Well, the social environment was changed. They carried on being faithful to God, and they were also faithful servants in their new society. Some people of their new society were very antagonistic about their faithfulness to God and took efforts to have them be more fully adjusted to Babylonian society. But remember Daniel and his companions were faithful servants in their society. Eventually, their social atmosphere did become less antagonistic. Through the challenges they endured, their God and those four had many people’s respect.
I urge you to apply these thoughts as we have experienced an “exile” from a way of life in our present situation. As your pastor, I am extremely concerned for your spiritual health, along with your emotional, psychological, social, and physical health. My role, as pastor, is to present the means of grace (the Word and Sacraments) through the local church I have been called to. Please realize your local church has weekly Bible readings and videos of sermons at our website (lgfaithlcms.org). I am available for multiple services and home visits with safety precautions. We strive to be creative to provide God’s Word and Sacraments as we navigate through this time.
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Sam Wiseman
