In the last two days people have given me words of support for different responsibilities I have. In their support they let me know that it can difficult to deal with certain situations. What has help me to deal with difficult situations in the last few months is one thought-I can't worry or get upset over what I can't control. I have said this to other people and I have even said this to myself many times over the years. It is one thing to intellectually know something and another to truly absorb and own it in my own being. When I actually own the idea of not worrying about what I can't control my stress levels decrease and things that I would be worried about in the past seem get dealt with and worked through. It is amazing that as human being I fear things that are not real at the moment and I start making up scenarios that I believe are real. I'm not saying that negative things don't or won't happen, but I don't need to anticipate them. The verses when Jesus talks about the lillies of the field and the birds of air don't where about where they will make their home means much more when I know that God is the trust and support system that gives me the most peace of mind and heart.

Who are the saints of God?
Only the Biblical saints
Really good people

Matthew 5:2-11

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven:
Those who realize they can not of their own abilities get God’s riches
They will know God’s heaven for they know that

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted:
Those who mourn are those who deal with the grieving in this life, death, loss of job, broken relationships.
Those who mourn are those who realize that they are lost without God.
God comforts us through His Word-Psalms, Romans, Revelation

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth;
Those who are not arrogant
Those who are not prideful
Those who are not conceited
The meek will have what they need in this life

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled:
Those who want to live righteousness in their lives as witness to their faith
Our lives are filled when we are living out Christian lives and not worrying about life

Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy:
Those whose concern is for their neighbor spiritually and materially, trying to do good for all people
There is mercy from God and from others as a result of this living

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God:
Our hearts as well our actions know the love of God
Because our heart is of God we know who God is

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God:
Simply as Christians we treat to live in peace with everyone-repentance, forgiveness, patience and humility
Those who live this life are God’s children

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven:
Because of our lives as Christians there will be those who will oppress and attack us
As we deal with these persecutions we know that heaven is coming

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me-Same as above

We as God’s people struggle with many of these blessings daily and sometimes in our sin we fail:
We believe our own press
We don’t always want God
We treat others with anger and cruelty
We would rather be in conflict than peace
We deny our God in front of the world

That is why we are called sinners yet saints.
We are saints because we have been made new people through the blood of Christ.
We as sinners have a God who loves us so much that He sent Jesus to live the righteousness for us
We as sinners have a God who loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die in our place on the cross
Jesus arose from the dead to make us saints

As saints we can rejoice because we know have God’s blessing of His strength and comfort in this life
and the reward of heaven.

We also remember the saints who have gone before us.
These saints we can remember their:
Faith
Mercy
Christian life
Strength
Forgiveness

You are saints

How often as a pastor do I need to know the answer. My first years as a pastor I thought that when someone came to my office to talk I was supposed to have an answer to a problem. I still can get like that even now. I used to think people expected that of me as well. I have learned that being there or as I have heard it called, "having presence" is most important. As a parent I have learned I don't always have the answers to my children's problems, but I do know that it is important to be there and listen to their thoughts, struggles and joys. As a husband it can still be hard to just be there, but I try. I have also learned that I am not less of person, because I don't have the answer. Maybe that is what is most amazing is that as I get older I can feel more secure knowing that I don't know. As a Christian I am learning that the more I learn about God, the more I need to learn. I continually am learning when I teach a class and I am asked questions I find that there are many times I have to say I don't know. I also learn from those I teach.

In October we had the opportunity to move from Gage Elementary to Gibbs Elementary. This opportunity for FOC is one more step in our mission to, "Touch Lives With The Love of Christ." One Sunday night of this week I was Target and talked to a person who has contact with our ministry through Vacation Bible School. He asked where we are worhsipping at this time and I told him Gibbs. His reponse was why would be at Gibbs when there are five churches already in the area now. I shared with him that are still many people who are not Christian or do not have a church family out this area. We can touch so many people with the Gospel of mercy, love and forgiveness by sharing our faith story and serving the people in the NW neighborhoods. It only by the Holy Spirit working through Word of God and the Sacraments that we share His story and live out our faith. As we worship in this community and serve in this community we are sharing and serving our neighbors, friends, and co-workers who lives next to us and across from us. In a sense we are those people. As we live out the mission we grow as people in faith ourselves and share that faith with others. May the Lord bless our mission in NW Rochester to bring others to know the saving grace of God.
Pastor Biar

I want to apologize for not keeping up with posts for awhile. It has been an awesome time to watch God work throught he people of FOC. I will be addressing posts again starting today. One of the things I want to make you aware of is FOC is also going to have a Facebook page and a Twitter account that you will be able to check out.
Pastor Biar

The Game of Life

Life is not a game even when it may feel like it.

How much of our lives are effected by the govt.?

The one issue that God gives responsibility to the government is dealing with crime and punishment.

Romans 13:1-7

4th Commandment

The argument against capital punishment in society and in religion:

Religion:
God doesn’t want retribution
God is a God of love
God wants restoration

Society:
Doesn’t solve the problem of killing
Should not be used as vengeance
Cost to much
Other reasons


What we believe in our doctrine(belief system):
God has instituted the government that we live under.
God has given the government the responsibility to maintain law and order
God has said that government in accordance with criminal activity may use “the sword” to achieve this purpose
God has not mandated that government use this type of punishment
God ultimately has final authority over the judgment of the soul and motivation of people

The main issue for us as Christians is that God has given us the responsibility to obey our leaders:
President and other leaders
Local leaders
Police and emergency
Parents and other adults
Teachers

We as Christians don’t always like what our leaders say or do:
Taxes
Regulations
Law Enforcement
Military

The only time we can resist govt. is when it goes against God’s will as revealed to us in God’s Word.

What ever we do or whatever the government does we ultimately live Christ’s work for us.
Jesus obeyed the governing authorities in the process of His death for us.
Jesus died for all the times we have sinned against God by not honoring the ruling authority
Jesus’ death won for us forgiveness for our sin.
Jesus’ resurrection gives ultimate hope not in this life, but the life eternal.

As God’s people we want to serve God by honoring those who are our leaders.

Honoring involves:
Prayer
Not breaking the law
Giving supported where possible

How many of us really believe that we are really a part of God’s family?

You may think this is a really weird question: Of course, I would not be here if I was not.

The reason I ask this question is that like all families and groups sometimes I may participate, but I am not really a part of the group or I don’t feel like I have ownership in the group or the family really loves me.

God says in our reading today that we are heirs to God’s gifts and family by the work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was born to pay the price for us-vs. 4-5

Without Jesus we would be people who are separated from God and have no relationship with God.

Old Testament inheritance was a theological process not legal:
Inheritance came from God in the land
The other inheritance was the promise of a savior

New Testament inheritance:
Jesus
Abraham
The Believer

Jesus paid the price for you and for me and He then sent His Holy Spirit to give us the gift that is ours to own and use. Vss. 6-7

We do not deserve this inheritance, but God loves us so much that He sent His son for us.

The issue for us is to take this inheritance and use it and live it.

How often do we let the gift of our inheritance do nothing-Matthew 25:14-28

A Car

As individuals:
We say it is important to us, but don’t live it
We don’t share it
Our sin
We hurt others
We don’t study the Word
We do not spend time in prayer

As God’s church:
Get comfortable
Argue about the irrelevant
Become internal lookers
Do not serve other Christians much less the non-believer

God says this is yours use, I will make it grow and make things happen, trust me and test me.

God said He would save us and He did it through Jesus Christ.
Jesus was born of a virgin
Jesus was and is the perfect man
Jesus died in our place
Jesus arose from the dead

Because of all that Jesus did and does for us we can out of thanksgiving use the gift that we own.

God’s Holy Spirit works it through His Word and the gifts of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism.

FOC:
We use every gift at our disposal
We trust God
We risk and try new things
We never get complacent
Remember that we have a mission to share and to serve

As individuals:
We share
We live in joy
We worship
We love and serve others

How many of us have plans and goals in life and they seem to change due to things we can not control?

We can look at the two groups who this wonderful story effects:
The Holy Family of Christ
The Shepherds

Holy Family:
Lives were moved from Nazareth to Bethlehem for a census
Could not stay in a home or inn
Stayed in a cave or stable
Baby born who would change the world

Shepherds:
Watching their sheep as they always did
Angels come out of nowhere to speak to them
They left their sheep to see a baby

Jesus came into the World to change everything and mess up the plans of Satan and our sinful selves.

Satan is always working to mess up our lives and tempts our selfish nature:
What is best for others is not best for me.
I can not let others stand in the way of what I want
My spouse and children are annoying
Scrooge

Our sinful nature:
I want my spouse and marriage to serve me(Your not the person I married)
I have these plans for the future and they are changed
My children are not behaving the way I want them to
God does not give me what I want when I want it
I am disappointed by everybody
Christmas is not what I wanted
Death hurts
Divorce
Addiction

Jesus came to mess up the plans of this world:
Jesus’ life and death changed the relationship between God and people
Jesus’ brought grace for salvation from the belief of working for salvation
Jesus brought and won forgiveness instead of revenge
Jesus came to change people from the past to a joyous future

Jesus did this through His death on the cross as our sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus arose from the dead to give the promise of eternal life

We are given this wonderful gift of salvation and forgiveness through God’s Word.
This gift starts in our lives through Holy Baptism
We are strengthened by the gift of the Lord’s Supper

How does the gift mess up our lives?
Instead of thinking of ourselves first we want to think of others
When relationships are messed up because our behavior or others we are repentant and forgiving
We stop seeing God as a judgmental mean God, but as a loving, gracious and forgiving God.
We see our first responsibility to God
Our daily lives are changed
How we see all our relationships differently

We also see this gift as a gift not keep for ourselves, but a gift to share:
Gift to share with our Family of Christ
Gift to share with our friends
Gift to share with our neighbor
Gift to share with our co-worker
Gift to share with the stranger

Actually there is no longer a mess in our lives, but a whole new plan and future for us.

How often do you and I feel like we are jumbled or messy inside and maybe outside?

Vss. 5-7
We are a mess as people before God and His perfection.

Vs. 5-When God helps those who are His and then others treat them horribly God is not pleased
Vs. 6-We are dirty and messy inside, in fact we are so weak against our own sin we let it move us easily
Vs. 7-We don’t even call on God when we need to and as a result we waste away

Vs. 5 We mess up our relationships with other Christians whether family or friends:
Say our children are important and do not treat them as such
Do everything for our children not realizing that builds contempt
Treat our spouse like they should take it
Divorce
Show lack of respect for our parents
Talk about a friend behind their backs

Vs. 6 When we look inside ourselves we are not clean people:
Not just the thoughts and desires that not clean in the eyes of God
The mess of our anxieties
The mess of our fears
The mess of emotions
The mess of our actions

Vs. 7We do not trust God or turn to him-
God says I will be there and we don’t quite believe it
We try to do things on our own
We try to find worldly answers to spiritual questions or problems
We try to control God and other people


When we do not trust God or turn to Him, we end up on the short end of things:
Our lives become overly anxious
We may turn to other options that are harmful
We may begin to have that feeling in our stomachs of emptiness or fear
We may actually turn away from God

So how is messiness a gift? Without knowing that we are messy, flawed and sinful people then we can not and would not understand or receive the Grace of God which is the real gift. Vs. 8

God takes messy and dirty people and cleans them through the blood of Jesus Christ.
God took the dirt and sin of our lives and put them upon the body of Jesus upon the Christ.
God punished our sin, not upon us, but upon Jesus Christ.
God raised Jesus from the dead, so that the Devil can not use our sin and dirt against us any more.
We also have the hope of eternal life with God where our dirt will never effect us again.

As vs. 8 says we are God’s clay that is molded into different people.
We are forgiven people who do sin, but we do repent.
We are forgiven people who do sin, but we forgive.
We are forgiven people who will have days of dirtiness, but we can turn to God know He is with us.
We are forgiven people who have broken relationships that can be healed and are healing.

Baptism and Cleaning

To baptize means to wash.
God through the Water and the Word cleans us by forgiveness of our sins.
This baptism we can remember everyday and know that we are clean.

As God’s clean and forgiven people we can then:
Serve
Trust
Love
Struggle
Share

The last few weeks we have heard very depressing readings from the Bible, today is very different.
We hear about healing and returning to God, instead of destruction.

What is the Bible talking about?

The Jews had been scattered by the people they had been conquered by to all parts of the empire. God said that He will bring them home to their homeland.

God did bring them back later and they rebuilt the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

God is not only talking about the Jews, but about people in general.

God has called all people to be His sheep and come home to be with Him.

There are four different groups of people God has called and is calling.
Those who are already a part of His family
Those who were part of His family and left the Family of Christ
Those who are searching for the comfort and peace God gives.
Those who do not seek God at all

Part of the family:
God brought us into His family and daily sustains us
God daily brings us to repentance and we receive forgiveness
We, by faith, daily trust God
We recognize that we are a part of God’s kingdom

Those who left:
God wants them to come back to Him
They may have been hurt deeply and blame God
Joe Esterhaus
They have left with out even realizing what happened
Those who are searching:
God wants them to be saved
People who are lost and have never known God
They have tried other spirituality and are still empty
They are ready for the truth of God’s mercy

Those who are not seeking God:
God wants them to be saved
They are the atheist, the agnostic, the angry, the other religious
They are ones who do not realize they need God’s mercy
They are the toughest to share with
They are still loved by God

What is God giving His people:
Vss. 15-16
Healing
Strength
Protect against the enemies
Know the true justice of God
All people seek these things in their lives

We are seeking these and we find them in God’s grace and mercy through the means of Grace.

God’s Word:
Psalms, Gospels, and the rest of the Bible.
God working through the Word in people.
God working through those people in His Church.
God working through His people in their families, schools, neighborhoods and communities.

God gives all of this comfort, healing and strength through conquering of the enemies of sin, death and the devil.

Jesus died on the cross and by His death we are healed in our relationship with God and the consequence of Sin.
Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us the strength face our daily lives-Lord’s Supper
Jesus’ death and resurrection forgives our sins and conquers Satan-Baptism
Jesus’ resurrection gives the ultimate promise and hope of heaven with God where are all is permanently healed. Rev. 21:1-5