Are you a Saint?

 Are you a Saint?

"One sacrifice for sins"

But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God...because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebrews 10:12, 14).

I am a member of the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod). The last four Sundays of our church year are referred to as the End Times Sundays. The “End Times” Season begins with Reformation Sunday. The Lutheran Reformation coincides with Halloween, but actually has nothing to do with Halloween itself. Reformation (Celebrated on October 31^st each year) is the day we honor our church’s founder Martin Luther. Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk, a Roman Catholic priest and a professor of theology.

Martin Luther

On October 31, 1517 he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Saxony, Germany. The 95 Theses were statements of his beliefs (based on Scripture) which he wished to defend in a public debate. The Catholic Church had become corrupted by centuries of ignorance during the Dark Ages of medieval Europe. Martin Luther wanted the church to realize the importance of returning to Scripture as its only source of truth. He taught, per Scripture, that we are saved by grace alone! By faith alone!  and By Scripture alone!  Salvation is a gift of God’s never ending grace, through faith in His one and only Son Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church had lost sight of these truths which were/are clearly taught in God’s Word.

 

The second Sunday of End Times is called Last Judgment which is pretty self explanatory. It is a study of the last days and most importantly the final day when the earth and this life as we know it will come to an end – the day when Christ will come again in glory to judge the world.

The third Sunday in End Times is called Saints Triumphant.  It is a study and celebration of all the Saints who were/are made victorious when Christ after His suffering and death, rose victorious crushing the power of Satan.

The fourth and last Sunday in End Times is called Christ the King. This last Sunday of the church year is again, a study of the last day when Jesus will come in glory and bring His believers (those still alive and those who have died) home.

My pastor begins each service on Sunday mornings with a children’s lesson. He invites all children present to the front of the church and spends about five minutes with them. He teaches them a lesson which pertains to the Scripture on which the service for that particular Sunday is based.

The Sunday which I am referring to in this writing happened to be the third Sunday in the End Times season which is Saints Triumphant Sunday so it was fitting that the pastor’s question posed to the children that day was; what is a Saint?  They answered; someone who is holy (very good!).  He then asked them to name some “saints”. They thought a minute and then answered by naming people they know from Scripture i.e. Paul, Matthew, Peter, James, Mark etc. They were 100% correct, but weren’t those men from Scripture sinners just like you and me? If a saint is someone who is holy, how could those men have been considered saints?

The definition of a Saint according to my Bible Dictionary reads; that which is separated or dedicated to God...All who are in a covenant relation with him through repentance and faith in his Son are regarded as saints. Wow! Does that mean you and I are considered saints also? I am confident that I am numbered among the saints. I came to faith at my baptism many years ago and the Holy Spirit has preserved that faith in my heart throughout my lifetime. My faith is strengthened and renewed daily through prayer and repentance, and through Bible Study and participation in the sacrament of Holy Communion.  

If you have faith in Jesus, if you believe and trust in His promises and have come to Him with a repentant heart which mourns your many sins, you are a Saint also. Without Jesus we are all tainted and made dirty by sin and doomed to an eternity in hell, but with Him we are covered by His holiness.

The scripture above tells us; because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  Jesus, God’s perfect and holy Son sacrificed Himself in our place when He died on the cross. He suffered the punishment we deserve for our sin and gave us His holiness in return. So when God looks at His faithful believers He no longer sees our sin, but the holiness of His Son. Because of what Jesus did for us, every sincere Christian can correctly place the word “Saint” in front of his/her name. We are all Saints washed clean by the blood of Jesus.

This is Good News! This is pure Gospel – that sinners are made Saints through the blood of Jesus. This news brings peace to all who believe. This is a peace which the world we live in cannot give us. It is a peace that comes only from God. Jesus says; Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).

Are you a saint? I hope that you can answer “yes” to that question. If your answer stems from a repentant heart filled with love for God and His Son you can be confident that you are counted among the saints.

Through faith in Jesus we have true peace - a peace which does not come from this physical world, but from knowing that our sins are forgiven and we can stand before a holy God without fear. We have a sure hope that there is a special place prepared and waiting for us in heaven. Death no longer has power over us. Whether we live or whether we die, we are winners through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

"You will not abandon me to the grave"

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; because you will not abandon me to the grave nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. (Acts 2: 26-28)

Gloria Dei! (to God be all glory)

By Kristeen

A Thanksgiving Prayer

 A Thanksgiving Prayer

November 22, 2012

 Now thank we all our God

With heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done,

In whom his world rejoices,

Who from our mother’s arms

Have blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love

And still is ours today.

(Christian Worship pg. 610)

Who from our mother's arms...

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are a great and awesome God. All that we are and all that we have comes from you. Without your presence life on this earth would be a miserable existence.

We come to you today in thankfulness for the many gifts you give us daily. We so often take for granted our warm homes in the winter, the car we drive, the job which provides for our needs, the freedom we have to come and go as we please, grocery stores filled with food, our health, our families, the sunshine, the moon, the stars, the rain, the snow, the birds singing beautifully each morning, the mountains, lakes, streams, and oceans. We sometimes forget that all of these wonderful gifts come from you.

We will soon be celebrating the birth of your Son the best gift of all, who gave up His glory for a time and came in human form into a sinful and imperfect world. He lived the perfect and sinless life which we, because of our inherited sinful nature are unable to live. He was persecuted and suffered the punishment we deserve for sin by suffering and dying on the cross in our place - and he did it willingly! He then conquered death and Satan by rising to life three days later. I will put enmity [Jesus] between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your [Satan’s] head, and you will strike his [Jesus’]heel (Genesis 3:15).

The gift of grace...

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, all people are offered the free gift of eternal salvation by your grace and through faith in Him. We pray that you would lead those who don’t yet know you to open the gift you offer which is set before them in your holy Word and make their hearts receptive to your Holy Spirit.

Lead those of us who do know you to reflect your love and grace to each person we meet. Help us to shine your light in this dark and evil world remembering that each soul is loved by you as if he/she were your only child. Help us to respond, out of thankfulness to you, with generous and loving hearts toward others.

...offered freely in your Word

Surround us with your love and keep us always in your grace. Amen

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. (Psalm 17:8)

A letter to family and friends

Grandparents day - Good Shepherd Lutheran School

10/7/11

Dear family members, friends and visitors to my blogs (“Soul Searching” and “Inspired to Write”):

I want to apologize for the fact that I haven’t been able to post any new blogs recently. My family is in crisis right now. My husband has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. We are dealing with this through prayer and the support of family and friends. I do plan to journal this walk of faith and will be posting my journal to my blog in some way and at some point in time. I pray that through my writings, the trials we are enduring can offer hope for others who are going through similar trials in life.

We trust in the wisdom of our almighty God that all things will work out not only for our good, but for the good of others who see our example of faith. There are two passages from Scripture which continue to flow through my mind and are very comforting to me. They are:

1.    My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. (Hebrews 12: 5,6)

2.    If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men (1 Corinthians 15:19).

The Hebrews passage reminds me that God loves me and my husband with a perfect love. We are His children and He is our Father. As a child my own parents used to say to me when I had done something wrong or made a bad choice; If we didn’t care about you we wouldn’t punish you. We would just ignore the issue and let it go, but we want you to grow and learn from your mistakes, how to be a better person. My dad would say; this punishment hurts me more than it hurts you. Maybe many of you remember hearing similar words from your own parents or saying them yourselves to your own children.

As with our earthly parents, when we hurt God hurts too. He feels our pain. He cries with us, but will continue in the discipline because He knows it is for our good or for the good of others. But He will never desert us and leave us to bear it alone. He promises; never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

God is our loving Father and we are His children. The difference between our relationship with our heavenly Father and that of our earthly parents is that God does not punish us for the mistakes and bad choices we make. He doesn’t need to because Jesus already bore our punishment for sin when He died for us. Rather the Lord disciplines His children to help them grow and to draw them closer to Him. His discipline reassures us of His love for us. I pray that our response to His discipline will give honor and praise to Him and allow us to be an example for others. I pray that we will be a light and a beacon shining in a dark world to those who don’t know Him.

And we are not without hope! It seems that possibly my husband’s life here on earth will be drawing to a close soon, but His life with God will be just beginning. We have hope for eternity in Christ Jesus. It will be difficult and lonely for me when he is gone, but God will surround me with His love and bring me through it and I am confident I will see him again someday when God calls me home, along with the many other Christian family members and friends who have gone before me.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence (Acts 2: 26-28).

The following words from “The First Song of Isaiah” (derived from Isaiah chapter 12) are my motto for the coming months. Surely it is God who saves me; I will trust in Him and not be afraid. For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, and he will be my Savior (Christian Worship Pg. 94).

Please keep us in your prayers as we begin this journey. Pray that God will give us the strength to endure and that He would replace our feelings of uncertainty and fear with faith in His almighty wisdom and power.

To Him be all Glory! Amen.

Kristeen

Watch for updates to my journey of faith on "Soul Searching". There is a link to it on this blog.

Come to Jesus!

Come to Jesus!

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die

(John 11:25).

I love music. It warms the soul. I love all aspects of it. I love to sing and play the piano myself, and I also love to hear others sing with all or any kind of accompaniment. Music is a wonderful gift and blessing from our loving and merciful God. It affects the deepest corners of our being.

Music revives memories of past experiences, both good and bad. At times it makes us bubble over with happiness, joy, and laughter making us want to dance, and at other times it makes us sad, bringing tears to our eyes. There is background music to almost all of our life experiences in some way shape or form. The combination of lyrics and musical melody/accompaniment can become a prayer to God, good for the soul.

I downloaded a beautiful song from iTunes recently which really touched my heart and brought me to my knees in thanksgiving for the blessing of knowing Jesus as my brother, my best friend and my God. I had never heard it sung before. The melody was soothing and in combination with the lyrics it spoke to my soul. The name of the song is “Come to Jesus”. It was recorded by Chris Rice on his album; Run the Earth, Watch the Sky. The words of the song are as follows:

"Come to Jesus"

1. Weak and wounded sinner lost and left to die,

Raise your head for love is passing by.

Come to Jesus, come to Jesus, come to Jesus and live!

These words speak to the lives and souls of all people. We are all born not only spiritually “weak and wounded” as the song writer states, but we are spiritually “dead”. We are born dead in sin and can do nothing to save ourselves. Thankfully Jesus did it all for us. Through His perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross all who believe in Him are made fit to stand before a holy God. So don’t despair. Sit up and take notice! Jesus died for all people! He died for you! Raise your head and look to the cross in repentance and faith!  Come to Jesus and live!

2. Now your burden’s lifted and carried far away.

His precious blood has washed away the stain.

So Sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus and live!

As a believer in Jesus you are washed in His blood. You are a forgiven child of the almighty God. The burden of sin is lifted from your shoulders and you are free to live for Him and serve Him. So raise your voice in song and rejoice that because of Jesus you have life – not only now, but for eternity! Sing to Jesus and live!

3. Like a newborn baby don’t be afraid to crawl.

Remember when you walk sometimes we fall.

So fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus and live!

Life is difficult sometimes. Just like newborn babies learning first how to crawl and then to walk, we are often fearful of the unknown. We hesitate to take that first step because we are afraid we might fall and get hurt. Don’t be afraid! You will fall and get hurt sometimes both physically and emotionally. It is unavoidable because we live in a world tainted by sin. When those times come and you feel the pain of a bad fall – when you are crushed and broken and you feel like you are going to fall on our face - fall on Jesus. He will catch you and raise you up to make you whole again. Fall on Jesus and live!

4. Sometimes the way is lonely, steep and filled with pain,

so if your sky is dark and pours the rain;

then Cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus and live!

Sometimes in life we feel alone. The burdens of life weigh us down and cause us to despair. When your life feels sad and dark and it seems that no one really understands or cares what you are going through – turn to Jesus. Cry out to Jesus. Tell Him what you are feeling. When you don’t know what to ask for just cry out His name. He wants you to come to Him. He knows what you need. He will strengthen you and lift you up again. When you are too weak and tired to put one foot in front of the other, He will lift you up in His arms and carry you. Cry to Jesus and live!

5. Oh and when the love spills over and music fills the night;

when you can’t contain your joy inside;

then dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus and live!

And when life is wonderful and you feel like singing for joy. When you are so happy the joy spills over into your life and the lives of those around you – don’t forget who gave you the gift of happiness. When you feel like dancing for joy, dance for Jesus. Dance for Jesus and live!

6. With your final heartbeat kiss the world good-bye.

Go in peace and laugh on glory’s side.

Fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live!

When you feel the end of your life here on earth is near and the time for God to call you home is close at hand, don’t be afraid. Just relax and know you are in good hands. When the time is right, He will call your name and you will hear the words; well done my good and faithful servant! (Matthew 20:21). You will be able to say good-bye to this life and go in peace to live with God forever in glory. Fly to Jesus and live!

So let God’s word (The Bible) be the guide for your life in good times and in bad. He has all the answers. Through faith in Jesus you belong to God. He loves you and He loves each of us as if we were His only child. He cares about every aspect of your life. When you are sad He is sad also. When you are happy He is smiling. Being a child of God doesn’t mean your life will be trouble free, but it does mean that He will give you the strength to endure the trials you face.

Our God is the great “I Am”. God said to Moses, “I AM who I AM” (Exodus 3:14) He is the God of the past, present and future. He never changes. Through faith in Jesus, whether you live or whether you die, you win.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 20:31). 

Gloria Dei! (All Glory to God!)

By Kristeen

Click the link below to listen to the song "Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PANiveIKVX0

My Spiritual I.D.

My Spiritual I D

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.            (Isaiah 43: 1)

Do you have a legal document that tells others who you are? In the U.S. every child born receives a social security number and a birth certificate.

Your birth certificate and SS number are proof of who you are.

Your birth certificate lists your time and date of birth, the hospital and city where you were born, how much you weighed at birth, and the names and address/addresses of each of your parents.

Your SS number is unique to you alone. There is no other person in the U.S. or anywhere in the world for that matter, who shares that number with you. It identifies who you are. You will be asked to present it for any legal document you submit to anyone, and for all important paperwork.

The single most important I.D. people in the U.S. carry however is a driver’s License. Your driver’s license is a laminated card which contains a picture of you, shows your date of birth, weight, sex, and the address where you live. Most young people here in the U.S. obtain a driver’s license at the age of 16 after they pass their driver’s training course. It is something they will carry with them their entire life. Your driver’s license is legal proof of who you are, no matter where you go.

As a young teen getting my first driver’s license, I can still hear my mother instructing me; don’t ever go anywhere without it! It tells others who you are. If you get into and accident and aren't able to speak the police will be able to identify you and notify your family.

I took the instructions my mother gave me seriously and always obediently made sure I had my license whenever I went out, even if I wasn’t driving.  But there was one time when I forgot it. I was out of state spending time with my cousin in Phoenix, AZ. I was new to the area and the evening after I arrived, she took me out and introduced me to some of the local gathering places for young people. For whatever reason (I have no idea why, but maybe I just forgot it) I didn’t take my purse.

My cousin was driving and as she pulled into one of the city parks, a police officer pulled up beside her. She had not been driving recklessly or broken any laws, but I think he just randomly pulled her over, maybe because she was young and it was a Saturday night. He was just being cautious and making us aware of his presence.  Of course he asked each of us for our I.D. and I didn’t have mine. I honestly don’t think he believed me when I told him I had forgotten it at home. I’m sure he thought we were up to some kind of “no good”, but he finally let us go and told us to go straight home. I couldn’t believe it! The one time I didn’t have it with me, I get caught! Now, forty some odd years later, I don’t recall ever having repeated that mistake again (well maybe a couple of times over the years).

We should each recognize that our I.D. is a very important document because it is proof of who we are. I am not aware of what laws and regulations are in effect in other countries, but pretty much everyone in the U.S. over the age of 16 has and needs some type of picture I.D.  If you don’t drive you may have what we call a State I.D. or maybe if you are a student you have your Student I.D. But do you have a Spiritual I.D.? Do you know what a Spiritual I.D. is? Do you know where/how to get one? Let’s talk about it.

I obtained my Spiritual I.D. on April 23, 1950.  That is the day my parents brought me to baptism. I was one month old. We are all born into this world sinful. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5). We inherit the virus of sin from our parents, and their parents, and so on down the line. Many people feel that babies are sweet and innocent and don’t sin, but they are wrong. They may be sweet, and they are innocent in that they aren’t aware of their sin and don’t know any better, but still they ARE sinners. As little sinners, they need God’s forgiveness in order to be fit for heaven. They need to be washed in the blood of Jesus through faith in order to be saved. I tell you the truth; no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit (John 3: 5, 6).

At one month of age, even though I was too little to understand it all, I was born again through my baptism and became alive in Christ. I now belonged to His family of believers. Through the waters of baptism connected to God’s Word, The Holy Spirit put faith in my tiny little heart and I was washed clean of my sin and reborn into a new life. There was rejoicing in heaven that day! There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). The angels rejoice jubilantly over each person on earth who is forgiven through faith. God loves all people and doesn’t wish that anyone would go to Hell. He [God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3: 9).

Faith comes from hearing the Word. Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10: 17). But it also comes to us through the Sacraments i.e. Baptism and Holy Communion. A newborn baby is too little to read the written Word and understand what it means for his/her soul.  The Holy Spirit, through baptism, places faith in the hearts of babies and little children who are too young to understand. Through baptism their sins are forgiven. Through baptism God showers His never ending grace upon each little child so that when He looks at him/her He no longer sees a sinful little human, but the holiness of Jesus. 

Many people have the mistaken idea that baptism is something we do for God. They feel it is something we should let our children decide upon when they become old enough to understand. Baptism is not our commitment to God. On the contrary, baptism is God’s commitment and gift to us. It is His way of saying; I love you and you are Mine!  I promise I will never leave you. I will watch over you and protect you. I will bring you home to be with me forever when your life here on earth of over.

Parents, it is your God-given responsibility to bring your child to baptism. Jesus himself tells us; Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Luke 18: 16).

My baptism certificate is my Spiritual I.D. It is the I.D. which says I belong to God. It tells me I am saved through the blood of Jesus shed for me on the cross so many years ago. It is proof that I am His forgiven child. All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3: 27). I carry His name with me every day that I live.  It is not a guarantee that I will never leave Him, but it IS His guarantee to me that He will never leave me. I pray that he will watch over me and keep me in my baptismal grace until the day He calls me from this earth.

Unlike my driver’s license or state I.D. I will not need to present my spiritual I.D. for legal documents here in this life. I won’t need to present it when I stand before God on the last day either because he has a record of it in His Book of Life. However do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven (Luke 10: 20).

Have you obtained your Spiritual I.D, yet? Have you been baptized for the forgiveness of sins? Are you an heir to His eternal kingdom? Have your children been baptized? If you and/or your children haven’t been baptized and you are interested in finding out more about it, feel free to email me at grandmapoz@yahoo.com. I will try to direct you to someone in your area who can tell you more about it and help you make it happen.

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children (Acts 2: 38, 39)

Goria Dei! (All glory to God!)

Special note to parents:

God does not tell us in His word what happens to little babies who are killed through abortion or who die before birth or before there is time for baptism. It is not my intent to put fear in the hearts of already grieving parents who have lost children to death before baptism. For your comfort, remember that our God is a just God, but He is also a merciful, fair and loving God. We can trust that in His almighty wisdom He takes special care for the souls of helpless infants. All life is precious to Him.

He does command baptism however, and entrusts these little lives to us as parents, to be cared for and nurtured. It is our responsibility to make sure they have all that they need, not only for their bodies (their physical good), but especially for their souls (their eternal good). Eternity is forever. Therefore why would we not, when it is within our power to do so, want to afford ourselves the comfort of knowing for sure that their souls are safe in His loving arms?