Coronavirus Explained [Video]

Get Merch designed with ❤ from https://kgs.link/shop Join the Patreon Bird Army 🐧 https://kgs.link/patreon ▼▼ More infos and links are just a click away ▼▼ A...

Heaven's Not Far Away

Source: https://www.1517.org/articles/heavens-not-far-away

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Pete Lange serves as pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Eldon, MO. He graduated from Christ College Irvine in 1991, was a DCE in Kansas for 10 years, and then attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis where he graduated in 2006. He loves Jesus and his family and likes reading, hiking, and golf.

If you ever find yourself in the middle of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Rome, don't forget to look up. What you will see, along with many other depictions of biblical grandeur, is the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. On the left side of the fresco is Adam, lying on the ground, just about ready to come to life. On the right is God, rushing toward Adam with a divine purpose, surrounded by angels. And at the very center of the picture is a small empty space--the space between man and God, between heaven and earth.

I think it’s safe to say that most people today don’t think the space between heaven and earth is small. Most people think that heaven is a long way away. And that's not just because we don't like to think about our own mortality. It's also because we have been conditioned to think that heaven is a far off place, way out there somewhere, divorced from the earth. This is actually just good old-fashioned Gnosticism creeping back into our thinking as it always does. It's the idea from an ancient heresy, influenced by Greek philosophy, that heavenly spiritual things are good, while earthly physical things are bad. It's a false dichotomy that is antithetical to the Bible and historic Christianity.

The Bible teaches that the natural state of things in this physical world is good. "God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). Something went terribly wrong on the earth, of course, due to Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, but it is still God's good world, and we are still part of his good creation.

Maybe heaven is not as far off as we seem to think.

In one sense heaven is just another realm or sphere of reality. When Enoch "walked with God" in Genesis 5, he didn't have to go very far to be in God's eternal presence. He just entered a different dimension. The same goes for Elijah when his time was up, and he was taken up by a chariot of fire into heaven. He didn't have to fly way past Jupiter to the edge of our solar system in order to get to heaven. He was simply taken into God's presence by way of a holy whirlwind. Similarly, when Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection, he didn’t shoot like a rocket on his way to the moon. He simply disappeared from view into the cloud of God’s presence.

It's really not distance that is the issue here - it is dimension.

It seems like this idea would be fairly easy for people to grasp these days, with all the talk about the multiverse, alternate realities, and the multiple dimensions that show up in Marvel movies. If actual scientists are seriously considering the possibility of a multiverse, why not investigate the claims of the Bible and the possibility of an alternate spiritual reality?

In the Christian worldview, heaven is right around the corner. When we pray to God, we aren't shooting random thoughts out into the stratosphere, hoping that the universe will hear us somehow. We are praying to our Heavenly Father who loves us, cares about us, and is willing and able to help us in our time of need. When we read the Bible or hear it spoken, it’s not just the dry words of a dead language from a 2000 year old book. It is nothing less than the living and active Word of our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer - the lover of our soul who's as close to us as our next breath.

The ultimate expression of this for Christians is when we go to the altar to receive the Lord's Supper together. What happens there is nothing less than amazing, as we receive the holy communion of Christ's body and blood, given and shed for our forgiveness and salvation. Space and time fall away for a few brief moments. Heaven and earth come together in a wonderful and mystical way as we commune together with our Lord, with one another, and with all the saints who have gone before us in every time and place. It is the closest we can come in this life to “heaven on earth”, until the day when Jesus returns and brings heaven with him, as the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, descends from on high in the new creation.

Heaven may seem like a long way off right now, but it is as close to you as a gentle word spoken, a splash of water, a bit of bread, and a sip of wine. It may not look like much, but it is indeed the eternal mystery of God’s ultimate reality revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ, for you. Heaven opens up to you when you hear the pastor's words as from Christ Himself, "I forgive you all of your sins in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

If you ever make it to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, don’t forget to look up. But in the meantime, remember to look around you to see what God is doing in your very midst. You may be in for a big surprise when you realize that heaven is not as far away as you think.

"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven" (Gen. 28:17).

Mark Ch 14-15 Read the Passion in Holy Week.

All Recordings made possible by the word of promise app.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples

12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

13 And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. 14 Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

16 So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 In the evening He came with the twelve. 18 Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”

19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”

20 He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. 21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.’

28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And they all said likewise.

The Prayer in the Garden

32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. 47 And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

48 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

50 Then they all forsook Him and fled.

A Young Man Flees Naked

51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” 59 But not even then did their testimony agree.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”

And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

65 Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps

66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”

71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

Jesus Faces Pilate

15 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”

3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. 4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!” 5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Taking the Place of Barabbas

6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

The King on a Cross

21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. 22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. 24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. 26 And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” 36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

Grace Gathering Update [April 4th] [Video]

Greetings Family and Friends at Grace,

On April 1,  Governor DeSantis put the entire state of Florida under a stay at home order. This directive is designed to further encourage residents of Florida to stay at home as we work to flatten the curve of COVID-19.

If you read the order or heard others talking about it, you may already know that churches are listed as essential businesses. In Port St. Lucie’s emergency planning meeting at city hall from Thursday afternoon, Mayor Oravec encouraged churches to remain virtual or “drive-in” style at this time. In the attached video, I include his message about this. 

For those who have stepped up over the past few weeks to take on extra roles to serve the Grace community through music, phone calls, and office tasks, I am so grateful. We would not have been able to “be the church” remotely without your contributions.

At this time, I have decided to discontinue the Wednesday and Sunday individual communion services so we can work to keep each other safe from this virus. With the way our space is designed and the nature of sharing in the meal, ensuring 6 feet is just not always possible. This decision is not one I took lightly, for I know the power of the Lord’s Supper and the blessings it brings. 

LCMS President Harrison wrote to the pastors this week, in light of the upcoming Holy Week, “We pastors struggle with a barrage of changes, of unanswered questions, of rough edges, of theological thoughts and concerns, of practical problems. Many face financial challenges. We struggle with moving targets, changing health regulations and mandates. We want more than anything for our dear people to receive the forgiveness and consoling power of the Word of the Gospel, the Scriptures, and the very body and blood of Jesus. We struggle trying to sort out how it is that the very coming together to receive Christ’s gifts may endanger the flock we seek to love and shepherd.” Then he went on to say, “Dearest brothers, you have Jesus; Jesus only, but that is sufficient. ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12:9).”

You may be feeling weak right now, with our social events and spiritual community taken away, at least in-person, jobs lost, and family members far away in places with even more sickness than here. Remember, Jesus’ power makes us perfect in our weakness. I, who’s wrestled with “doing church” in a totally new and complicated way, am also feeling weak. The events of Holy Week, that we begin tomorrow with Palm Sunday, remind us of that every year, and this year it may even mean a little bit more. Let’s rest in that and be open to how the Holy Spirit can transform our hearts and minds.

After Holy Week, we will begin engaging in more community building through online virtual meetings for Bible study and fellowship. You can either call in with a traditional phone or use your computer or other device to see one another. Look for more details once we’re past Easter.

In the meantime, as we grieve the absence of the Lord’s Supper and in-person gatherings, please call and text your brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage them, check on them, and see if they have any needs. Let the church know of any needs we could provide, such as errands or financial assistance.

You know how I despise the manipulative nature that asking for money brings, but here are the ways we and the community need your continued support:

• Please send your offering through the mail or ask that your bank provide us with weekly checks. The expenses at Grace to make virtual services have increased in the last month, and your contributions to the general operations of the church are still needed and appreciated.

• If you have not received or turned in a pledge card for the new building, please prayerfully consider a conservative amount you could offer over the next three years so we can continue to plan for the building project. Anyone can re-submit their pledges at any time over the next three years, especially given the unsteadiness of these times.

• When the stimulus checks arrive, some of you may be in a position of plenty. If you are able to contribute that amount, or a portion of it, back into the community, we ask for your donation so we can make sure others in our congregation and community who have lost their jobs have the opportunity to stay afloat. You can send those amounts to the church, marked “stimulus,” separate from your general offering. If you are one in need of financial support, please let us know so we can plan for financial assistance to those in our church and community who have needs.

• Many in the community are relying on food banks to help them get by financially. If you are led to contribute, please be advised that there are some scams going on right now that pose as food bank donations. I recommend donating to one you know has been in operation prior to these times, for example Treasure Coast Food Bank, where members of the church visited last year. 

Tomorrow we begin Holy Week. We walk behind Jesus as he rides a humble donkey into Jerusalem. We listen as he eats with and serves his disciples one last time. We watch as he’s betrayed and stands before the court. We sit at the foot of the cross, knowing Peter isn’t far off denying him, as Jesus suffers and dies for all of us.

But remember this also: Sunday is coming. As cheesy as it sounds, our church may be empty right now, but we know that our Redeemer lives because the tomb is empty too!

---

See Past Updates

[Video] Surgeon General Shows How to Make Your Own Face Covering

The walls are going up

Hug

To the Ends of the House

source: https://mbird.com/2020/03/to-the-ends-of-the-house/

by JULIETTE ALVEY

“Ends of the Earth”

I think about travelingTo the ends of the earthAcross a sea,To another state,Or at least to a different city

To share your loveYour redemption storyIsn’t that what you desire from me?

Before I pack my bags to leaveIn search of excitement and gloryYou gently end the daydreamAnd direct my eyesTo my newborn baby

The ends of the earthBegin right hereAt the breakfast table this morning

I wrote this poem 9 years ago and have never shared it with anyone. It is as if it had been waiting in my file for this precise morning. Because whether you have a newborn or not, today, for most people, “the ends of the earth” truly do begin at your breakfast table and go no further. This is challenging for people like my husband and me, who sometimes suffer from wanderlust and enjoy the thrill of experiencing a new place. Jesus even says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matt. 28:19) We are supposed to go! So all of this staying feels counter to God’s mission of sharing his good news with the world. But the thing about God’s mission is that it is God’s, not ours. We don’t know what He will accomplish through all of this staying home, but He works in mysterious ways.

Since that morning 9 years ago when I was fighting the urge to run out the door and do something “exciting,” there have been seasons of going and seasons of staying, and all of it was used by God, even when it did not make sense to me. This may feel like one of those times when we are waiting and waiting and waiting until we can finally go do something useful again. But there is no such thing as wasted time with God. Even the apostle, Paul’s time in prison was not wasted (I am not comparing our homes to prison, but I’m sure for some it does not feel too far off). In the book Godspeed: Making Christ’s Mission Your Own, Britt Merrick says, “Wherever you are now, wherever you spend the majority of your time–that is your mission field. This is what it means to recapture our sense of sent-ness. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing–you were sent there.”

God be with you this day as you carry out his mission wherever you go, or stay.

Also from about 9 years ago:

Love Like Jesus

Will God Forgive Me… Again?

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit." (Psalm 32:1–2)

There is a man I know who fought in the Vietnam War. I have tried to get him to come to church many times, but each time he refuses because he says that his crimes are so great that God could not forgive him. Though I press him with the good news of the gospel that covers over all his sins, he refuses to believe that his record of wrongdoing can be erased by merely believing in Christ.

What my friend finds difficult to accept is a notion the psalmist wants to teach us. There is a way of thinking about a person who receives forgiveness, namely, that such a person is blessed. We do well to ask what it means to be blessed. Simply, to be blessed is to be favored.

Sometimes when our guilt sticks heavily upon us, we can wonder if God's forgiveness really applies to us. We do that certain sin, again and again, we surprise ourselves with some out-of-character action, we find ourselves feeling less guilty for certain trespasses, etc. In the midst of such rhythms, we are to take the psalmist’s prayer to heart. For we are reminded here that we are favored by God. God has taken our sins away because God wants to!

It is hard to believe this because there seems an inherent injustice in it. “If I keep sinning and doing bad, won’t God punish me? Isn’t his job to keep order? I know he is patient, but I keep repeating the same mistakes. At some point God is going to drop the hammer on me, isn’t he?”

This sense of dreadful anticipation at God’s coming wrath is real because guilty people know that justice must eventually come. God can’t keep turning a blind eye. And he doesn’t. We must put away a whitewashed Christianity that says that God simply forgives because He is nice, kind, loving, gentle, etc. That is not how forgiveness works. God does not simply ignore our sins, turn a blind eye to them, and perpetuate injustice. No. God has forgiven you for Christ’s sake. It was because Jesus paid your debt, took your penalty, and ransomed you from sin and death that you are forgiven. St. Paul has a special word to describe the new, objective reality of your forgiveness: justification. Notice the word “justice” embedded within it. Justification is God’s work, at Christ’s expense, to free you from sin, death, and hell. It is justice done to sin and grace given to you. And God wanted to do this for you.

When God forgives you for the sins you commit over and over, he does so because Christ has paid for their trespass and received the justice of the crime. God does not turn a blind eye to sin but instead issues justice upon his Son, for your sake.

This means you are blessed or favored because God loves you enough, because Jesus loves you enough, to hold no record of your wrongs. Now, if we are so favored by God that he would not spare his only Son, how much more so will he then help us in the midst of our troubles? You see, the cross teaches us the dedication to which God will go to show his favor for you. He wants to forgive you! So now, as you struggle through various trials, do not be downtrodden. The God who never abandoned you to your own sin will not abandon you now. And though you sin ten times ten thousand times, you can never out-sin the work of the cross. Let us live in this promise.

Holy Week and Easter 2020

Holy Week 2020

Because of the Covid 19 Social Distancing we will need to have video services for Holy week.

Find all the video right here at www.GraceLutheranPSL.com

Palm Sunday 9am
Maundy Thursday 5pm
Good Friday 5pm
Easter Sunday 9am

This little Piggy

Christianity Offers No Answers About the Coronavirus | Time

BY N.T. WRIGHT

 UPDATED: MARCH 29, 2020 3:47 PM EDT | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: MARCH 29, 2020 8:00 AM EDT

N. T. Wright is the Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews, a Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University and the author of over 80 books, including The New Testament in Its World.

For many Christians, the coronavirus-induced limitations on life have arrived at the same time as Lent, the traditional season of doing without. But the sharp new regulations—no theater, schools shutting, virtual house arrest for us over-70s—make a mockery of our little Lenten disciplines. Doing without whiskey, or chocolate, is child’s play compared with not seeing friends or grandchildren, or going to the pub, the library or church.

The Right Rev. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde holds Sunday Mass as it is live-webcast to its parishioners due to the Coronavirus at an empty Washington National Cathedral on March 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. Patrick Smith—Getty Images

There is a reason we normally try to meet in the flesh. There is a reason solitary confinement is such a severe punishment. And this Lent has no fixed Easter to look forward to. We can’t tick off the days. This is a stillness, not of rest, but of poised, anxious sorrow.

No doubt the usual silly suspects will tell us why God is doing this to us. A punishment? A warning? A sign? These are knee-jerk would-be Christian reactions in a culture which, generations back, embraced rationalism: everything must have an explanation. But supposing it doesn’t? Supposing real human wisdom doesn’t mean being able to string together some dodgy speculations and say, “So that’s all right then?” What if, after all, there are moments such as T. S. Eliot recognized in the early 1940s, when the only advice is to wait without hope, because we’d be hoping for the wrong thing?

Rationalists (including Christian rationalists) want explanations; Romantics (including Christian romantics) want to be given a sigh of relief. But perhaps what we need more than either is to recover the biblical tradition of lament. Lament is what happens when people ask, “Why?” and don’t get an answer. It’s where we get to when we move beyond our self-centered worry about our sins and failings and look more broadly at the suffering of the world. It’s bad enough facing a pandemic in New York City or London. What about a crowded refugee camp on a Greek island? What about Gaza? Or South Sudan?

At this point the Psalms, the Bible’s own hymnbook, come back into their own, just when some churches seem to have given them up. “Be gracious to me, Lord,” prays the sixth Psalm, “for I am languishing; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.” “Why do you stand far off, O Lord?” asks the 10th Psalm plaintively. “Why do you hide yourself in time of trouble?” And so it goes on: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever?” (Psalm 13). And, all the more terrifying because Jesus himself quoted it in his agony on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22).

Yes, these poems often come out into the light by the end, with a fresh sense of God’s presence and hope, not to explain the trouble but to provide reassurance within it. But sometimes they go the other way. Psalm 89 starts off by celebrating God’s goodness and promises, and then suddenly switches and declares that it’s all gone horribly wrong. And Psalm 88 starts in misery and ends in darkness: “You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.” A word for our self-isolated times.

It is no part of the Christian vocation, then, to be able to explain what’s happening and why. In fact, it is part of the Christian vocation not to be able to explain—and to lament instead. As the Spirit laments within us, so we become, even in our self-isolation, small shrines where the presence and healing love of God can dwell. And out of that there can emerge new possibilities, new acts of kindness, new scientific understanding, new hope. New wisdom for our leaders? Now there’s a thought.

Source: https://time.com/5808495/coronavirus-christianity/

Cleaned the Carpets.

The one nice thing about not using our church all the time. easy to do maintenance.

Clean Carpets!

Quarantine Bag Pipes

My quarantine project. Made it from a few recorders, a trash bag, and tape from r/funny

[Video] The Tiny Compound That Makes Soap A Coronavirus Killer #WashYourHands

Hand sanitizer has become a scarce commodity as Coronavirus has spread around the world. But you might be surprised to learn that plentiful, cheap soap is actually one of the most effective weapons we have against COVID-19. It all comes down to the unique chemical makeup of soap that has made it a central part of life since ancient times.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control website for the latest information on protecting yourself against the Coronavirus

Concrete Slab at Grace!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

5 out of 5 Stars

Temptation’s Green Pastures: The Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

by Ken Sundet Jones, Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa,

Temptation’s Green Pastures: The Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

areful now! If you read the Sixth Petition hastily, you’ll come away thinking that God is the source of temptations. One modern translation of the Lord’s Prayers phrases it this way: “Save us from the time of trial.” It’s not a better option. Either way, we face temptations because God sets up trials and tribulations as divine AP exams to see if we have what it takes to get heavenly course credit. Or God is some cruel and arbitrary taskmaster on the front porch swing watching us attempt forward motion in the face of gale-force winds – all for the sake of his own eternal pleasure. But the Lord’s Prayer is a primer on the Christian life. There ought to be more to “lead us not…” than such a paltry picture of God.

Petition by petition, the Lord’s Prayer teaches how we live faithfully – both through its implicit faith in God as the bearer of all good things, and through the one who taught us these words in the first place. With the Sixth Petition, God’s goodness, that’s assumed throughout the prayer, puts the lie to any notion of God inflicting temptation on his human children. Christ’s gift undergirds this petition with his own victory over Old Nick’s temptations in the wilderness.

A biblical scholar could tell you about the history of temptation in the Scriptures and how its focus shifted from the Old to the New Testament. A systematic theologian could present a learned disquisition on theodicy – what responsibility God has for evil. But for my money, the best interpretation of the Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer came when I first heard Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, and Dolly Parton sing the old-timey gospel song “Green Pastures” on Harris’ Roses in the Snow album.

Troubles and trials often betray those
On in the weary body to stray
But we shall walk beside the still waters
With the Good Shepherd leading the way

Those who have strayed were sought by the Master
He who once gave His life for the sheep
Out on the mountain still He is searching
Bringing them in forever to keep

Going up home to live in green pastures
Where we shall live and die nevermore
Even the Lord will be in that number
When we shall reach that heavenly shore

We will not heed the voice of the stranger
For he would lead us on to despair
Following on with Jesus our Savior
We shall all reach that country so fair

“Green Pastures” is an honest appraisal both of our lifelong adversaries — the devil, the world, and our sinful self — and of the Lord’s incessant quest to pull us back from all snares. “Troubles and trials often betray” us. They are ever-present. “The voice of the stranger” keeps speaking, luring us into the traps of self-sufficiency, status, and even piety to keep us from looking to God who provides everything needed for this life. At the same time, the song literally repents us, in the sense of the biblical word metanoia. It turns our eyes back to Christ and slathers us with the promise of the one who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies lost sheep.

This same view is present in Luther’s explanation of the Sixth Petition in his Small Catechism: “God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.”

Temptation doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. It’s in the structure of this broken and sinful world. In the Large Catechism, Luther saw its source as the flesh, the world, and the devil. The flesh tempts us with our internal urges (think of deadly sins like envy, lust, sloth, and gluttony). The world comes after us with the siren songs of glory or vengeance. And the devil instills doubt about matters that Christ has already mastered on the cross. In his Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis pointed to “those gratifying invitations, those highly interesting contacts, that participation in the brilliant movements of our age, which I so often, at such risk, desire.” He says that to pray this petition is to ask that God might even deny us these things.

Luther argued in the Large Catechism that the goal of temptation, “is to make us scorn and despise both the Word and the works of God, to tear us away from faith, hope, and love, to draw us into unbelief, false security, and stubbornness, or, on the contrary, to drive us into despair, denial of God, blasphemy, and countless other abominable sins.” Oddly, the Sixth Petition doesn’t ask that such temptations be eliminated. Instead, it asks God to be active in the face of temptation. Luther went on to say we’re spared from temptation, “when God gives us power and strength to resist, even though the attack is not removed or ended. For no one can escape temptations and allurements as long as we live in the flesh and have the devil prowling around us.”

Such strength to resist comes only with faith, and, as Paul says in Romans 10, faith comes by hearing the gospel. The faith that endures temptation is created when the Word connects you to the one who endured the attacks of the flesh, the world, and the devil. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said that “Christ, because he was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means.” The gospel promise is that God in Christ knows exactly what your temptations are and still bids you find protection from them in him.

“Green Pastures” is a reminder that still waters are to be found walking with your Good Shepherd. Even if you’ve succumbed to temptation Jesus is prowling around, calling and calling, until you hear his voice. When you do, the best possible thing is to prick up your ears and head in his direction. You’ll find only verdant meadows in the fair country of his acreage and a Lord who can provide what no temptation ever can.

https://www.1517.org/articles/temptations-green-pastures-the-sixth-petition-of-the-lords-prayer

Covid 19 - RESOURCES FOR RETIREES

From Brian Mast Email.

RESOURCES FOR RETIREES

I am working closely with federal, state and local officials to monitor the coronavirus and mitigate its spread in our community. I am also working especially to help protect the health and financial security of retirees in our community who are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19:

Medicare Updates

• Medicare covers the lab tests for COVID-19. You pay no out-of-pocket costs.

• Medicare covers all medically necessary hospitalizations related to COVID-19.

• These benefits also apply to those with a Medicare Advantage Plan.

• Telehealth services have been expanded to give you access to healthcare providers from the safety of your own home.

• Click here for a full list of Medicare resources.

Social Security Updates

• Social Security payments will continue to be delivered as scheduled.

• Local offices are closed to in-person visits, but help is still available by phone at 1-800-772-1213.

• Click here for a full list of resources from the Social Security Administration.

It is also important to remember that scammers may use the coronavirus national emergency to take advantage of people while they’re distracted. You should remain vigilant and take steps to protect yourself, including:

• Protecting your Medicare card and personal information.

• Check any documents and forms for errors.

• If someone calls asking for personal information, hang up and contact the agency directly.

For more information on the coronavirus and recommendations on how to keep yourself and your family safe, please visit CDC.gov/coronavirus. Please do not hesitate to call my office at 202-225-3026 with any questions. I also encourage you to sign up to receive updates on the coronavirus here: https://mast.house.gov/coronavirus