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My father-in-law used to have German Shorthaired bird dogs. They were nice looking, muscular dogs. He told me the story of when he was trying to train one of them he used a “shock collar.” The idea was that when the dog started chasing something he was not supposed to chase, like a rabbit or a squirrel, you would shock him to discourage bad behavior and keep him concentrated on finding birds.

One dog named Hans was pretty stubborn. He took off after a rabbit, and my father-in-law hit the button. The dog stopped for a moment, scrunched up his face a bit, and then kept on chasing the rabbit.

I read online that particular breed of dogs is incredibly intelligent and normally easy to train, but it can be challenging and frustrating when they’re younger. The puppy years come with these challenges: High energy, attention problems, willfulness and independence.

Maybe that is a good illustration of being “stiff-necked.” That term is used about 20 times in Scripture, mostly in the Old Testament. But Stephen also used it when addressing the charges against him, just before he was stoned to death.

Acts 7:51–53 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”

The term comes from an animal stiffening its neck to try to keep a yoke from being placed upon it. God wanted His chosen people of Israel to bear the yoke of obedience to Him and His Laws, but they kept stubbornly refusing. So He called them “stiff-necked,” just as Stephen did in Acts 7.

How often do you stubbornly refuse to do what God calls you to do? Are you obstinate when it comes to conforming your life to God’s will? Most of us are. Even when we know all that God has done for us in sending Jesus to be our Savior, we still want to go our own way, chasing that rabbit when we should be concentrating on living the new life to which God has called us.

We strive to live this way BECAUSE we are already saved. Jesus earned our forgiveness and salvation. What we do by bearing the yoke God gives is our attempt at gratitude.

Instead of being “stiff-necked,” God would have us be steadfast and immovable as His followers.

1 Corinthians 15:57–58 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

And He will give us the power to be that way. It is always available, if we would just take advantage of it.

1 Peter 5:8–10 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

God will make you firm and steadfast. Ask Him to do so.

I’ve never had a gun held to my head, but I know people who have. They talk about the utter hopelessness, helplessness and despair that they felt at that moment. There was nothing they could do. Having been spared from death, they know about deliverance.

You and I must need that same realization. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We all deserve nothing but punishment and death for our disobedience to God. We have all sinned, and we keep on messing up. Even today, all of us have been caught in Satan’s little traps. How many of you have lost your temper at someone for not being ready on time, or doing something stupid? How often have you fought in the car on the way to Church? Do greed or jealousy or pettiness take over when you look at your neighbor? Satan is always working on those who follow Jesus, because He hates believers. He doesn’t want anyone to rejoice in the Resurrection of Jesus. He wants you to keep on sinning and be damned for those sins. He tries to turn you away from Jesus, because without Christ, you are that person with a gun held to your head. There is nothing you can do. But once again, Thanks be to God. In your helpless state, he did something for you. His love and care and concern for you was so great that He let His Son die for your disobedience, even the sins you’ve committed today. The payment has been made. And by raising Jesus on the third day, our Father has assured you that not only are you forgiven, but you will live with Him forever. You have crossed from death to life through faith in Jesus.

 On a beautiful Spring afternoon, a boy and his father were driving in the country. A bee flew into the car through an open window. The little boy, who was allergic to bee stings, was petrified. The father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, held it in his hand, and then released it. The boy grew frantic as it buzzed all around him. The father reached out his hand again, but this time showed his son his palm. There, stuck in his hand, was the stinger of the bee. The father said: “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I took the sting for you.”

Our Lord Jesus shows you His palms with the nail prints, reminding you that His death on the cross was in your place, and also that He rose again from the dead. Jesus took the sting out of death for you by dying and rising again. You trust in Him assures you of forgiveness and eternal life. You have deliverance.

The last devotion was about letting your faith show. We do this because we have reason to rejoice in our lives. Our God has provided us with the victory over sin, death and the devil through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. This the same one who provided a dramatic rescue for His people long before Jesus was born as one of us.

Exodus 15:1-11 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. “Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. “The enemy boasted, `I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you– majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

As Moses and the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt, the army of Pharaoh was in hot pursuit, trying to overtake and defeat them. They found themselves as the Red Sea, trapped, with no way out. They complained about what they saw as certain death. Why had God brought them out into the desert to die? This was pretty risky, complaining, considering Israel was powerless to escape without God’s help. But then God acts. In the Exodus, he caused the waters of the Red Sea to part. The people did not do anything that caused God to save them. He did it because of His promise to be their God. He showed Himself to be their Savior by snatching them out of the hand of the enemy. He is a warrior who fights for His people. His victory over Pharaoh was total and complete. They had reason to rejoice. Their rejoicing in response to God’s rescue.

I hope you see the point of comparison to our lives. We have enemies after us: sin, death and the devil are chasing us down, nipping at our heels. We find ourselves in a tight spot, no way out. We have questioned God’s wisdom and His ability to save us. Does He know what He is doing? But God staged a similar rescue for us. This does not come because of anything we have done, but from God’s promise. It comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has snatched us out of the hands of our enemies by leading us to faith in Jesus as our Savior. Just as the open waters of the Red Sea spelled deliverance for the Israelites, the open tomb is the picture of our deliverance. He fought the fight and won for us. He has delivered us from certain death and gives us life instead. We, too, have reason to rejoice.

There was a small southern town that had succeeded in remaining “dry”; no bars, no liquor stores, not even beer or wine sales. Then a stranger moved to town and opened a nightclub on Main Street. A “honky tonk.” This disturbed the members of one church so much that they held nightly prayer meetings, asking God to burn down that evil establishment. Their prayer meetings went on for weeks. Then one night, during a thunderstorm, lightning struck the nightclub’s roof and the building burned to the ground. The owner, who knew about the church’s prayers, sued the congregation for damages. His attorney claimed that the prayers were the cause of the loss. The church members hired an attorney who fought the charges, claiming there was no direct connection between the prayers and this freak accident. After hearing the case, the judge declared: “It is the opinion of this court that wherever the guilt may lie, the nightclub owner is the one who really believes in prayer while the church members do not.”

What you believe is best demonstrated by how you act. Read that last sentence again and let it sink in. In other words, let your faith show.

In our home, we have a sign hanging over the passage way between the great room and the kitchen that has our last name in large, tin letters. When our granddaughter Iris was three, she stopped, looked up at that sign, and said: “M – A – T – T – I – L …  JESUS!”  It is obvious her parents had taught her about Jesus and His love. But it made me think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if all of us were mistaken for Jesus because our actions so closely follow His?”

What you believe is best demonstrated by how you act. When you attend worship  services with your brothers and sisters in Christ, you demonstrate to the world that you believe in the Resurrected Lord who saved you from sin and death. There is a old riddle: What makes more noise than a pig stuck under a fence? The answer is TWO pigs stuck under a fence. And what brings more glory to God than a believer who worships and praises God? MORE believers who worship and praise God together. It is good to gather with others to worship and and sing and praise and thank God for what He has done for us in Christ.

Even better, show your faith for others to see in your day to day life.  If you believe that Jesus has conquered death for you, let it show. That faith will be evident in your living and speaking. It’s not just a show to put on at Easter or Christmas or even every Sunday. Faith in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus changes you. What you believe will be demonstrated by the way you act. Let your faith show.

Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, honors the men and women who died while serving in the American military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it began shortly after the Civil War as a time set aside to honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:

The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

It became an annual tradition to honor the memory of those fallen in service to their country, but it was not until 1971 that Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. Today is set aside to honor the memory of all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice allowing us to enjoy our freedoms in this country.

This can be a difficult time for many. I know this day is especially difficult those who have lost sons and daughters and spouses in armed conflict. A member of my congregation once told me his wife’s brother was shot down during WWII, beheaded by his captors and that his body was dumped in the ocean never to be recovered. Even though he told me this almost seventy years after it happened, the pain was evident in his voice and his expression. We dare not take this day lightly or overlook it. Our freedom to gather together with family or to gather together for worship was earned for us by the blood of men and women such as these.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Father, thank you for allowing us to live in freedom, including the freedom to worship you. We are grateful for those who sacrificed their lives to give us this freedom. We pray for the families of those whose loved ones made this sacrifice, showing this ultimate gift of love. They are a reminder that freedom comes at a high price. They also remind us of the love that your Son, our Lord Jesus, has for all people, that He willingly laid down His life for the sins of the world. We pray in His most precious name. Amen.

Memorial Day weekend signifies a lot of things to a lot of people. The end of a school year. High School Graduations. The beginning of Summer. A trip to the lake. Family get-togethers. An extra day off where you do anything but rest. A lot of folks don’t remember the real reason for this holiday, which is ironic. Memorial Day was established to be a day of remembering. It is for keeping alive the memory of those who gave their lives in defense of the freedoms we enjoy in this country.

About thirty years ago, Cal Thomas wrote an article just before Memorial Day in which he quoted other articles. One article he quoted from U.S. News and World Report (April 1995):

“Even for secular intellectuals, the Holocaust supplied the most powerful brief yet for the existence of original sin. Two centuries earlier, thinkers were asserting the perfectibility of man. Now, they were debating whether Germans were human. The answer, tragically, was yes.”

The overall thrust of his article was that Memorial Day is a good time to remember what we fought against. He also supports the belief that the evils of this world find their solution not in man, but in God.

Memorial Day weekend finds me grateful for those who have given their all so that I might live free in this nation. It also reminds of the Memorial Meal that God has given to His Church, which reminds me of Jesus giving His all so that I might live forever. The quote I shared above brings this into sharper focus for me. That quote spoke of original sin, asserting that mankind has the inclination to NOT do what is right. Many people still don’t want to admit that about themselves or their children. But the evidence is overwhelming. In fact, things seem to be getting worse as time goes on rather than getting better. Man’s capacity for evil reminds us that we need help.

It is something Spiritual, something from outside of us, that saves our flesh. God saw our problem and did something about it. On this Memorial Day weekend, remember what God has done. He sent His Son to be the Prince of Peace. Jesus told you that He came to bring a peace which the world cannot give. You need to  remember what He did. He was your substitute, he died so that you might enjoy the freedom we now have to live as a forgiven child of God.

In order to help you remember, Jesus established a Memorial Meal, Holy Communion. Paul spoke of this to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (NIV)

You do this to remember Him and what He has done. It is an everlasting memorial that is to continue in the fellowship of believers until our Lord returns on the Last Day. By sharing in this meal of remembrance, you proclaim to all who see you that the death of Jesus was to pay for sin.

But wait…there’s more. On the basis of Scripture, we understand this meal to be more than just sentiment and memory. It is participation. In fact, the root meaning of the word communion in the Bible is “fellowship, participation, and sharing.” When you receive this memorial meal and hear those words “Take and eat, the Body of Christ given for you” and “Take and Drink, the Blood of Christ poured out for you,” you receive exactly what those words promise. You share in the death Jesus died to pay for sin, making it your payment for sin. You receive in this Memorial meal His Body and Blood to assure you that no matter what you have done, it was covered by His payment for sin. Faith in Him as Savior and repentance allows you to receive this meal with the guarantee of forgiveness.

Memorial Day weekend is a great time to remember and celebrate. It is also a good time to remember and celebrate Communion, our memorial meal. Remember that Christ’s death was for you, so that you might have forgiveness and life.

On a recent road trip, Cheryl and I needed a break, so we pulled into a Dairy Queen for some ice cream treats. After we received our order, we were sitting in a booth enjoying them. We were the only customers in the place at the time, and we overheard a conversation between the manager and one of his employees back in the kitchen.

“I can’t stand it when people lie to me!”

“What do you mean?”

“He called me the other day and said he couldn’t come to work because he had someone in the hospital. I told him to take care of that and call me later. The next day he came in and I asked him who was in the hospital. He said it was his cat. His cat! I said, ‘That is not a someone.’ And I told him not to lie to me again.”

The manager went on to talk about how the young man tried to justify missing work because he was afraid they were going to put his cat down. The manager said he didn’t understand the ‘work ethic’ of young people today.

I have heard that complaint lots of times. I’ve even used it myself a time or two. People my age tend to bemoan the fact that the younger generations have it easier than we did. But that is not necessarily true. Young people today face different problems and challenges than people my age did. They may have more conveniences, but life is still complicated.

I was raised to work hard. And I was constantly encouraged to do the best I could with the abilities God gave to me. Dad always impressed on me that I should give a fair day’s work for the wages I would receive. I had jobs all going back to the time I was 10 or 11 years old. I helped my brother with his paper route. I mowed yards and weeded flower beds in my neighborhood. I worked in fast food restaurants. I worked in warehouses pulling parts orders and shipping items. I plotted oil well production on logarithmic graph paper for a Petroleum Engineer. There were times in high school that I had three different jobs at the same time. I had jobs throughout my college and seminary days. And my ministry was shaped by the same work ethic instilled in me throughout my formative years.

But none of that matters when it comes to getting into heaven. I can work as long and hard as I want and I could never do enough to merit forgiveness. Thanks be to God I don’t have to do so.

Ephesians 2:8–10 ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jesus did all the work necessary for us to be forgiven and saved. He gives us eternal life as a gift. It is not what we earn. It is what Jesus earned for us. We are the undeserving recipients of grace: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

So why have I always tried to work so hard at what I do? Read verse 10 again. When God makes us His children and gives us forgiveness and salvation, the proper response is to do good works. We should try, as my parents taught me, to do our best with the talents He gave us as a way to thank Him for knowing we are saved.

I enjoyed doing children’s sermons in worship services. I did them every week for the vast majority of my ministry. I was able to draw on some things I had learned from my Elementary Education degree, but even more so from what I learned while student teaching.

Cheryl and I student taught at Our Redeemer Lutheran School in Staplehurst, Nebraska. At that time it was a three-room school: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. The first 4 weeks I was in the 6-8 class and Cheryl was in the K-2 class. Everything went smoothly. I related to the students at that age level quite well. The next 4 weeks Cheryl went to the 3-5 class and I moved to the K-2 class. My first day in that classroom, a little fellow came up to me with his worksheet and said he didn’t know what to do. I asked him, “Did you read your instructions?” His eyes got big, his lip started quivering, and he said in a shaky voice, “Teacher, I’m in Kindergarten. I can’t read!”

That day I learned the importance of knowing your audience. Make sure you are speaking to them on a level they can understand. I was reminded of that a while back when we attended a service where the pastor was telling the children they should be holy. The problem was he never once tried to explain what that word meant.

The more I did children’s sermons, the more I learned to use words they could understand. You could tell by the expression on their little faces if they knew what you were talking about or not, so I would adjust what I was saying and the words I used. For example, I would never say in a children’s message, “The Incarnate Son of God is the propitiation for the iniquity of the world.” Instead, I would tell them, “God came to earth as one of us so that He could take our punishment and pay for our sins.” And even that might require some further explanation to make sure they understood.

I tried to take this approach with all children, even those who are considered adults. You have to be sure you are speaking to people in a way that they will understand the message you are sharing.

The language of our liturgy is beautiful and meaningful. However, I remember a visitor once asking me why I thought I had the right to forgive someone’s sins. These were the words I had said after the congregation had publicly confessed their sin together:

“Upon this, your confession, I by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto you. And in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

I took a moment to go over the wording, and then I said, “Jesus wants me to tell everyone who admits they are sinful and trusts in Him that they are forgiven.” The visitor said, “Why didn’t you just say that?” He had a valid point. I understand the need to educate people about the historic liturgy and why we say what we do. I also know the importance of conveying the message clearly, whether that be in a sermon or an order of service or in a conversation over coffee.

Holy Spirit, guide and direct and lead us so that we share your message of love and grace and mercy for Jesus’ sake in a way that others will understand it.

Just recently, I heard a preacher say, “Busyness, Boredom and Blessings will all try to lead you away from Jesus.” He made an excellent point.

BUSYNESS

How often have you been so busy that you have told yourself, “I don’t have time to go to Worship and Bible Class.” I know lots of folks think they can’t fit devotions into their busy schedule. And Satan is smiling. He loves when your BUSYNESS keeps you from spending time listening to God’s Word and speaking to Him in prayer. Think how different our usual attitude is than that of Martin Luther. Someone once asked Luther his plans for the day and he replied, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in Prayer.” That may sound counterintuitive, but if you want God’s blessing on your day, shouldn’t you stay in close contact with Him?

BOREDOM

Sometimes you just don’t feel like doing anything. I get it. After eight funerals in a ten week period, and lots of rainy days as well, I did not have much motivation to get up and get going. But that is the perfect time to spend with Jesus. He waiting for you. Go to Him in prayer. Listen to Him speak to you through His Word. Make the most of your “down time.”

BLESSINGS

As crazy as it might sound, blessings sometimes shove God aside. It is beyond ironic that the very one who has given you the gifts and things you enjoy gets pushed to the side once you have them. You start to convince yourself you deserve all the things you have because of how hard you have worked.

Put yourself in God’s position for a moment. What if you gave the perfect gift to someone, the very thing that person had been wanting and waiting for. You saw the joy on his or her face when the gift was received, and then they walked away, never to speak to you again.

I would imagine when you saw the word “blessings” many of you thought of material things first. But let’s consider the greatest blessing any of us have ever received, the thing we could never earn and certainly don’t deserve: forgiveness. It was something beyond the realm of possibility if we were left to our own resources. That is why it is such a tremendous blessing, something God alone could do and something He willingly did.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When you count your blessings – which are many – keep Jesus at the top of the list. Don’t let your blessings lead you away from Him.

A few years back one of our daughter’s and her family stayed with us for a couple of months while her husband was searching for a new job. They had been full time RVers, and he had a “work from home sales job,” but they were ready to come off of the road. God blessed him with a new job in Colorado, so they started preparing to move up there.

As all of this was happening, their older model Jeep Patriot, which they owned free and clear, started having problems. He had made a trip up to Colorado and was driving back to our place when the car started shaking. It got so bad he had to pull over. The clutch was shot. And the shaking caused a tie rod to bend. He paid for the repairs and came back to Texas to get ready for the move. He had to add a “tow package” to his car so they could pull a trailer up to Colorado with their possessions, which meant more money spent on that vehicle.

The day arrived for the move. We had loaded up the rented trailer and they headed out. About 15 minutes later, I got a phone call that their car was dead on the side of the road. Now the transmission was shot. Having put $4000 into that car already, they traded it in for a new vehicle and got less than half of that amount for the trade in.

Things wear out. They don’t last. That is the way of this world. So much of what we have and use is considered disposable. In fact “planned obsolescence” has become part of our vocabulary. And a common phrase we have all heard and said it “nothing lasts forever.”

Well, almost nothing. As far as this world is concerned, in its fallen, sinful state, things will not last forever. However, there is something permanent, unchanging and lasting that we can count on.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8.

God’s Word is something you can count on. It is what tells us about His plan of salvation. It is what points us to Jesus, the one who is called the Word made flesh. It tells us that in spite of our sin, which should keep us out of heaven, Jesus paid our penalty to allow us to be forgiven by our God.

Isaiah 51:6 reminds us: the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. Our fallen, sinful world and the things in it have no lasting value. They will wear out and be discarded. But in God’s Word we have promises that last, assurances that endure: forgiveness, life and salvation because of what Jesus did for us.