The passage for today comes just moments after Jesus revealed himself to his disciples for
the first time after his resurrection. The disciples had gathered together because Simon
told them that he saw Jesus, and suddenly, there he was in their midst! They were startled
for sure, but Jesus had great things to tell them, and prepare them for, before he ascended
into heaven. It tells us that he opened their minds to understand what his death and
resurrection meant for forgiveness of sins, including that one word, repentance. He gives
these instructions to the disciples in a specific order, repentance then forgiveness. You
must repent, then be forgiven. When we confess our sins during divine service setting 3 in
worship, we say, “But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them.” But do
we mean it? Are we repentant in our hearts? Or are we going through the motions of
“repenting” only to continue the sin for which we say we’re sorry? If only Jesus could
appear and open our minds as well.

I see this type of repentance with my children. We might call it “quick” repentance. One
child decides to take their sibling's toy outside and then manages to lose it in the
sandbox. You tell the child to apologize to the sibling for losing their toy and they come
through with a really quick and insincere apology. “Sorry.” Then I have to say, “But, do
you mean it?” Most of the time they don’t, and the next day they again err against their
sibling. It can be the same situation from the other sibling’s side as well. When you ask
them if they forgive their sibling for what happened, they’ll say it’s okay, but are they
really forgiving in their heart? When we go before our heavenly Father, are we being the
kid with “quick” repentance, or are we looking in our heart for true repentance? It’s with
this true repentance that we know we are forgiven. We never have to worry about the
Father’s forgiveness not being sincere, He means it all the way, so much so that He
sacrificed His son. In this season of Lent, as we look at the cross, let’s reflect upon what
truly being repentant means. Dig deep in your heart as you stand before the Lord, He will
forgive you.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, during this season of Lent we confess to you that we are poor miserable sinners
in need of forgiveness. Help us to repent wholeheartedly and turn away from the sins which we
confess. Send your Holy Spirit to guide us on the difficult path of repentance that we may receive
the forgiveness that your Son has given to us. Amen.

Have you ever had a day when you can’t seem to do anything right? You burn your
toast; can’t find your keys and you drop your coffee as you head out the door! You
wonder, “what’s wrong with me!” Hopefully you turn to the Lord for help, and He
grants you peace!

When I think of God’s Steadfast Love, my thoughts turn to the Psalms of King
David. They read on like a rollercoaster of praising the Lord for all that he has done
for him and lamenting the attacks of his enemies. Many of the Psalms were written
during the time when David had to flee from Saul. Psalm 57 begins as a plea to the
Lord for mercy to grant him relief from his enemies. But by verse 7 we see that
David has trust in God's steadfast love to deliver him. He begins to praise the Lord,
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.”

​Sometimes we are like David. We find ourselves wallowing in our own problems
until we realize that God is with us. During Lent we focus a lot on the trial and
burden of sin. We see Christ's death as the price of our sins. But we rejoice on Easter
when we see the fulfillment of God’s steadfast love in Christ's resurrection. Whether
our trials in life are self-inflicted, from sin or from an evil force, we can stand firm in
God’s steadfast love to be there with us. His steadfast love will keep us strong.

​Prayer:
Dear God, forgive me when I don’t see your steadfast love and don’t trust in your
deliverance. Strengthen me and allow me to praise you in all things. In Jesus name, Amen.

I work at school, and my desk sits in the conference room where the staff refrigerator resides.
One of the students came in and he said he was grabbing his mom’s (a fellow teacher’s)
lunch for her. I was quick to commend him on his kindness and servitude, and he responded
with, “There is something for me in her lunch bag so I’m grabbing it for her.” Isn’t that how
it goes? Many times our well-intended efforts and good deeds fill the holes of desire, fear and
unknowing in our human hearts.

​Repeatedly I mistake my own wants and desires for God’s will. After all, the plans we make
and the dreams we conjure up have many different jobs when it comes to our human
reasoning. They protect us and give us a sense of purpose. They give us value and
independence. They keep our spouses and children safe. They make us feel like we are going
to change the world. On paper, our plans look amazing, and they reflect the difference we
want to make. We can plan ourselves right into the most perfect life we could ever imagine!

With our intentions the way they are, we are like the student grabbing his mom’s lunch for
her. We can be doing a good thing, but what is inside that lunch bag that we are really
looking for? Even though we mean well, many times we are choosing to do something
because we want something out of it. So now the scary question is in order. What if God has
a different lunch bag for you to carry? In this case, the entire lunch is for you, bag, and all.
The difference is, you didn’t ask for it, and everything inside it is a big mystery. It’s not even
the kind of lunch bag you would ever be seen carrying, let alone claiming it as your own.
Most of the time we aren’t even giving it a second glance. I’d rather starve, thank you very
much!

We forget so soon that the things we haphazardly try to plan and provide for ourselves, God
gracefully gives. A repentant heart is also a heart of trust. Repentance is essential for our
humbling, our obedience, and ultimately carrying that mysterious lunch sack assigned to you.
Thankfully, by the Grace of God, our eyes continue to be opened to our sinful nature as we
turn to Our Savior. This Lenten Season, may God help us to see the error of our ways.

Prayer:
Father God, I am repentant of the ways my selfish heart has crept in. Even in my continuous
yearning to be a light for Jesus, distractions are inevitable. I pray for the continued strength and
ability to know the difference of my desires from Your ultimate and perfect plan. I pray Lord, that I
will trust You, and I am so sorry for the times that I allow myself to get pulled in any other direction.
Lord Jesus you are the perfect example of obedience to God’s will, no matter the pain and agony,
you were steadfast in your mission. Help me to live more and more like You, without distraction. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What a blessing it is that God has preserved the story of salvation for us for all
eternity. That we can read the inspired words of authors of the Gospels to see how
our Savior lived and loved. As the telling of the life of Jesus begins, we are first
introduced to John the Baptist, and he is proclaiming one simple message. “Repent,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” After Jesus is baptized by John and then is
tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He begins His earthly ministry with one
simple message. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Such a simple and clear message, but one that is difficult for us to hear. The call to
repent is to turn from what we are currently doing. What if I am comfortable where
I am? What If I enjoy what I am doing? What if I find value in what is in front of
me? To repent is to admit that I have done wrong. Jesus says repent.

​Turn from the sin that we so often cling to. Turn from the allure of earthly materials
that ultimately fade and wither. Turn from the ways of the world that are selfish and
destructive. Turn to Jesus. It is a simple message with an astounding revelation, to
see that what (or rather, who) we are turning to is infinitely better than what has
been before us. Jesus is the Kingdom of God in the flesh. He has brought us into His
fold. He has come to save His people, and has won us life everlasting.

Prayer:
Jesus, I know there are times when I am stubborn, refusing to turn from my sin. Yet you
are the light that has broken through the darkness to bring me into your Kingdom. Thank
you for forgiving my sins, and continue to walk with me, and defend me from all sin and
temptation as I follow you. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

This week's worship theme in our Kingdom Vision Series will be Called to Be Fishers of Men

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Matthew 10:5-7

Cars nowadays are loaded with modern conveniences. With the push of a button,
we can turn on our favorite music, wash that bug off the windshield, open our
windows to let in a cooling breeze or turn up the heat. Our cars seem to just give,
give, give whatever we ask at any moment. The only problem is that we need to
keep our cars happy by keeping their fuel tank full and maintaining all their systems.
Do you ever feel like your spiritual fuel tank is low? Is there only so much that you
can sacrifice to help others? Do you catch yourself saying, “sorry for being short with
you but…” If our spiritual fuel tank is running low, could it be that our priorities are
not focused on God’s love? Jesus became true man to live a life of sacrifice. He
confirmed that loving God above all else is the greatest commandment and that
loving your neighbor as yourself is the second greatest.

God’s steadfast love keeps our spiritual fuel tank full so that we can lend a helping
hand, give a kind word, or just be there when someone needs us. We do not need to
want for anything else but the gift of God’s steadfast love. Jesus has given that to us
so that we are able to keep on giving. His ultimate sacrifice on the cross fulfills
God’s promise of salvation. The only emptiness we see should be the emptiness of
the tomb.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, keep my spiritual fuel tank full. Help me to never tire of spreading your love to
others. Help me to treat others with Christ like love. Amen

One of the greatest joys I have as Pastor is that there are times where I can visibly
see an idea or concept regarding the faith click with someone. You can almost see
the light bulb go on in their brain! One such occasion happened in talking with
some of our Confirmation students about the word sacrifice. When I asked what the
word sacrifice means, I learned that we must have some baseball fans in our
congregation, because the first thing they thought of was a sacrifice fly. I actually
love this analogy, because it teaches us that a sacrifice is not done without an end
goal in mind. A batter sacrifices his opportunity to get on base, with the goal of
advancing one of his teammates to the next base or even home plate.

​Jesus’ sacrifice was not in vain, but it served a purpose. That purpose was to forgive
the sins of the world, and as written in Hebrews 9, to save those who now wait for
Him to come again. Once is enough. God had a plan with an end goal in mind, and
while we do continue to eagerly await the second coming, God has left us no doubt
that the sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I give you thanks, this day and always, for your sacrifice on the cross. Thank
you for the forgiveness of sins which you have so lovingly blessed us with, and preserve us
in faith as we eagerly wait for you to come again. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Vinegar Boy,” by Alberta Hawse is a book that I like to read to my students during the
lenten season. It is about an orphan boy who had a birthmark that covered half of his
face that was abandoned in the mountains by his parents, and taken in by the
commissary steward. He wouldn’t let the steward adopt him until his birthmark was
gone.

Vinegar boy was on a mission to find Jesus to heal his face before Jesus’ resurrection,
but he also had another mission as well. He was to deliver the vinegar wine to
Golgotha.

The book takes you through the events that lead up to the crucifixion, the crucifixion,
the resurrection, and post - resurrection. The boy learns many valuable lessons and has
many disappointments along the way thinking that “today” was supposed to be “his
day.” Jeremiah 29:11 often pops into my mind as I read this book because he had many
plans to find Jesus and ask him to heal him, but there was always something that got in
the way of his plans and that led to disappointment for him.

In the end, he realizes that the commissary steward loves him for who he is and is
proud to adopt him and call him his son. We all have scars, burdens, wounds, and may
feel rejected by friends or loved ones, at times. We may try to find ways to get rid of
those burdens on our own, but we cannot. Jesus suffered, was ridiculed, mocked, and
despised all for us and by his wounds we are healed just as the vinegar boy found
healing and realized that he was loved and cared for even with his birthmark. Jesus
loves and cares for all of us, no matter how dirty our past is; just like Nicolas loved and
cared for Vinegar boy, despite the ugly birthmark on his face. Thank God for His love
and care for all of us.
​
Prayer:
Dear Lord God Heavenly Father, We thank and praise you for Your divine goodness and
mercy in our lives. Please forgive us for the times where we try to take matters into our own
hands. Help us to turn to You and seek You with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of
our mind. Amen

“Don’t forget!” This is something I say a lot. Whether it be to my daughters, my
students, or even to myself. Isn’t it interesting how God is reminding us in this verse
to do good and to share what we have with those in need? It seems simple; we learn
to share when we are in our early school years. We can share with everyone around
us and do good for others. Often if we help someone in need, we are only going to
do it if it is convenient for us, right? Whatever is the easiest for us, maybe cleaning
out our closet of the clothes we no longer wear or giving the extra $20 in our
pocket. But is this a sacrifice to us? Is it an inconvenience?

A sacrifice is something that we give that causes a discomfort or pain for us. We
usually measure our giving by what we can give materially, but really the best gift we
can give, is the gift of ourselves. Offer a friend or neighbor your time, helping
around their house or yard when they are unable or are overwhelmed. Offer a prayer
or a listening ear, sacrifice yourself and your time to help someone in need. Jesus did
this. He made a sacrifice for us, his own life. He loved us so much that he made that
sacrifice for us, because we were the ones in need. We need to be more like Jesus,
sacrifice our personal time to help someone in need. Put someone else’s needs before
our own. When we put someone else’s needs before our own, we are pleasing and
worshiping God. So, “Don’t forget,” this Lent season to sacrifice your personal time
to do good and help someone else, because this is truly pleasing to God.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to not forget to be loving and helpful to my neighbor. Give me a
heart of service and sacrifice for you. Amen.

According to the internet the average person looks at themselves in the mirror
between 30-50 times during the day. The likelihood of a person forgetting what they
look like is probably slim to none. Now, when it comes to following God’s word that
we hear every week in church or during our personal devotional or prayer time, do
we conveniently “forget” to do what is right?

James 1:22-24 says, but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who
looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away
and at once forgets what he was like.

So, as we go about our Lenten journey and we reflect upon Christ dying on the cross
for our sin we need to focus every second of every day to follow God’s word and be
doers of the word not just hearers.

​Prayer:
Heavenly Father, remind us during Lent to look to the cross and to spend time in your
Word. May we be a reflection of you always. Amen.