+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Revelation 3:10
Theme: Faithful Unto Death
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Joyce, and especially you; John and Kerrin, her children,
Joyce Gibbs now wears the crown of life. She is crowned with glory. We need not concern ourselves with some image of royal opulence that adorns her head. To be crowned means to be honoured, to be perfected; to be exalted. Joyce Gibbs is crowned with glory because she has been released from all the constrictions and complications of sin’s consequences, and now dwells in the presence of the immortal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. She is at peace. She is home.
Joyce needs nothing from us now; not even our prayers. She has been relieved of every worry, anxiety, and care. She experiences no pain and faces no fear or distress. And she now knows what it is to go beyond death. But for us who reflect on her call to glory, death is still a towering black shadow. No one can outrun the specter of mortality. It overtakes us all. It brings us face to face with the big questions of existence. Reflection on mortality is not a time for conjecture, but for conviction.
Dear friends, the difficult part of Christianity is not the doing, but the believing. Christ has done the work. He has paid the price. He has served the sentence. He has borne the guilt. He has appeased the divine wrath. The difficult part for us is the believing. So completely incapable are we at taking God at His word, the Holy Spirit must do all the heavy lifting. He must first breathe life into our dead souls. He must grant us the faith we cannot muster for ourselves. Then the eyes of faith begin to see God for who He is.
The ‘doing’, the following of God’s will, the striving to be obedient -even until death- then flows seamlessly from the believing. The infatuated groom doesn’t have to be told to seek his wife. The panicked child doesn’t have to be told to run to her mother’s arms. And so, the believer desires to do God’s will. And this is true even though the selfish nature tries to reassert itself. One thing is for sure, God cannot be deceived. Do you think the Almighty God will be fooled by one single person who puts on the pretense of following God when there really is no faith in the heart? I wouldn’t count on those odds. The Scripture says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”1 We can only repent of trying to fool God and others into thinking we’re not really poor, helpless sinners. Joyce knew better than that.
Joyce was the type of person to get things done. She wasn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty. Life on a Mallee farm wasn’t for the faint of heart. Joyce wasn't timid. Her fortitude carried her through many a challenging circumstance. When she was determined to see something through it was very difficult to dissuade her. She was full of pluck and vitality. She endured the loss of a child. By God’s grace she carried on. Joyce lived during a time of tremendous change. She witnessed the transition from horses, to cars, to computers. She adjusted and made her way in the world. The world changed. The times changed. But her Saviour did not change. His love was an immutable constant in her life.
Joyce believed in a God who also gets things done. Actions speak louder than words! Christ wasn’t a man of hollow words. He didn’t make speeches for the purpose of impressing audiences. He wasn’t running for public office or satisfying constituents. He spoke His intentions truthfully and He fulfilled those intentions to the point of death. He rose again from the grave and lives eternally. Not one promise is left unmet. Not one pledge is proven to be false. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”2 Joyce has fully made the transition. She awaits, with every believer from every time and place, the resurrection of the body on that great and glorious day, and its reunion with the soul. Her waiting is not characterized by boredom, drudgery, or even soul-sleep. She dwells in the awesome majesty of God, experiences perfect peace, and is filled with inexpressible joy.
This fantastic truth tempers our grief. The Scriptures say believers do not grieve like those who have no hope. Christians still mourn the loss of loved ones, for sure. A vacancy takes place in family and community life. Adjustments must be made. Routines are altered. Emotions are strained. Memories are recalled to the frontal cortex again, and again, and again. And through that process we come to terms with the loss, and, also offer up gratitude for the life that was. John, Kerrin, Joyce certainly wanted us to celebrate and give thanks for the life that was: The life God granted to her here in time. She wanted others to know Him who is the way and the truth and the life, Jesus Christ, the Saviour. No one else could bear the sins of the world. No one else could silence Satan. No one else could conquer death. Joyce believed that.
In the last months Joyce attended communion services at the hospital. She would always greet me with a smile, usually catching my eye from across the room. Her smile was warm and genuine. And even in her failing health, when I would ask her how she was, she normally said, "Very well, very well!" In the last period of her life frailty restricted participation in many of the things she loved. But she was pleased just to be present to receive God’s promises once again. She knew this was a preview of higher and holier things to come. Joyce didn't fear her mortality. She frequently queried why God hadn't called her home earlier. She was ready. She was ready to receive the inheritance first promised to her in her baptism. And now that has come to pass. Her joy is unexcelled. The vibrancy of her life knows no limits. Thanks be to God!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Joyce Margaret Gibbs
20 June 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 4:13
2 John 5:24
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Monday, June 19, 2017
Second Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 9:36
Theme: A Shepherd For The Sheep
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Prayer is the continuous voice of the faithful petitioning the ears of the Almighty. Prayer has cadence and rhythm, peaks and troughs, but it is never stilled. The Lord places a yearning in our hearts and we speak it back to Him. The cessation of prayer means the end of mortality and the commencement of eternity. It means all the answers have been made and all the blessings have been given. Today, Jesus tells His disciples to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His fields. A harvest is ready to be reaped and there are too few to do it.
So, today Jesus gave the Twelve authority over evil spirits and the power to heal people of their ailments. These gifts were a powerful sign that the kingdom of God had arrived in the person of Jesus. Christ is master over all the consequences of a corrupted world. He gives sight to the blind, recovery of movement to the disabled, and restoration of health to those with terminal illness. Still, the core business of the disciples, who were sent out by the Lord of the harvest, was not the alleviation of temporal suffering. Jesus Himself, didn’t heal everyone in one fell swoop. Renewal of mind or body always served the restoration of the soul.
The mission of the church is always holistic. People are complex spiritual and physical entities. Yet, whether the particular aspect of the mission involves compassion, charity, teaching, or warning, it should always reflect the humility of Christ and point people towards Him. Charity apart from Christ is philanthropy, kindness without Him is humanitarianism, admonition is social consciousness. Christians are freed to serve others and make sacrifices not in the hope of gaining recognition or reward, but because they believe God provides all things in Christ. We can risk, we can sacrifice, we can make ourselves vulnerable because God is trustworthy. We do not have to promote ourselves to Him. Unbelief cannot comprehend the confidence the Spirit gives to the faithful. It is a peace the world cannot understand.
Remember, Satan's schemes are spiritually-focused. He cares little about the offences of unbelievers against God or people. He already has them on side. The devil expends his energy on Christians. Every falsehood and half-truth he propagates has the common purpose of planting seeds of doubt about God's reliability. He makes every effort to discredit the Scriptures or disconnect us from them. Without the Scriptures, we cannot have saving knowledge of the true God. Human opinion, regardless of how rational or practical it seems can never be an infallible guide for faith and life. True knowledge of God was lost with the fall into sin. That knowledge is recovered only in the revelation of the gospel.
You cannot lift yourself up to God. He reaches down to you. Jesus described the crowds today as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”1 We’re no different until the Holy Spirit reaches us with the gospel, until He cleanses us with baptismal water and kindles faith in our hearts. It’s not healthy people that need a doctor, but those who are sick. If we were righteous on our own we would have no worries before God. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”2
We can’t opt out of original sin. No one can decide not to be a sinner. Certainly, you can and should be determined not to commit sin. We should pray that the Holy Spirit would shape our thoughts, filter our words, and govern our actions to the end that we might not offend God or harm our neighbour. The regenerated person, the person converted from unbelief to faith, seeks to walk in step with the Spirit. Still, we remain sinners in reality and in truth. We stand in need of grace…always. The soul always needs to be fed with His sacred food. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that when we approach God in the Divine Service we shouldn’t be saying, “I, a poor helpless sinner,”3 as we do in the confession of sins? Perhaps you’re tempted to question whether we deserve punishment “in time and eternity.”4 Such thoughts seem quite rational. How could God be so harsh as to condemn a person who tries their best? And haven’t our sins been previously forgiven anyway?
Dear friends, we need the forgiveness of sins with the same regularity we eat food and breathe air. If we don’t attend regularly to our personal hygiene, we’ll soon notice. Or, at least, others will! The same is true for our spiritual lives. The moment we think forgiveness is optional, unnecessary, or redundant is the very hour we are in danger. Who are we to throw down the challenge before the Almighty? Who are we to question His justice? We are the mortals. He is eternal. He is not vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the cosmos. He upholds the very fabric of the universe.
We have no negotiating power before Him. We bring nothing to the table. But, dear friends, we do not stand before Him alone. There is One who is more than worthy to speak on our behalf. There is One who lived in perfect obedience and died in perfect sacrifice. The Scripture says, “We have One who speaks to the Father in our defence- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”5 We stand in the grace of Christ. Still, we yearn to have the promise of His absolution comfort our souls. There is no contradiction in these realities.
Today, Jesus had compassion on the crowds. Can we measure the compassion of Christ? St. Paul prays for the Christians in Ephesus asking that they, “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”6 The mercy of Christ, His unconditional sacrificial love can only be grasped by faith. Otherwise, He appears at best by human reason to be a benevolent martyr. But an example of altruism doesn’t begin to characterize the work of Christ for us and for our salvation. His terrifying death on the cross and glorious resurrection from the dead express to us Good News that simply cannot be overstated. Sin, death, Satan and hell are defeated by the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. Whatever other enemies we have besides these are insignificant in the end. The Saviour says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”7
Therefore, we are content, but we are always yearning. It’s similar to having true peace in a chaotic world. Remember what the apostle said today, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”8 He will not disappoint us. He will gather His harvest. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Pentecost
18 June 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 9:36
2 Romans 5:8
3 LH page 6
4 LH page 6
5 1 John 2:1-2
6 Ephesians 3:18-19
7 John 10:28
8Romans 5:1-2
Text: Matthew 9:36
Theme: A Shepherd For The Sheep
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Prayer is the continuous voice of the faithful petitioning the ears of the Almighty. Prayer has cadence and rhythm, peaks and troughs, but it is never stilled. The Lord places a yearning in our hearts and we speak it back to Him. The cessation of prayer means the end of mortality and the commencement of eternity. It means all the answers have been made and all the blessings have been given. Today, Jesus tells His disciples to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His fields. A harvest is ready to be reaped and there are too few to do it.
So, today Jesus gave the Twelve authority over evil spirits and the power to heal people of their ailments. These gifts were a powerful sign that the kingdom of God had arrived in the person of Jesus. Christ is master over all the consequences of a corrupted world. He gives sight to the blind, recovery of movement to the disabled, and restoration of health to those with terminal illness. Still, the core business of the disciples, who were sent out by the Lord of the harvest, was not the alleviation of temporal suffering. Jesus Himself, didn’t heal everyone in one fell swoop. Renewal of mind or body always served the restoration of the soul.
The mission of the church is always holistic. People are complex spiritual and physical entities. Yet, whether the particular aspect of the mission involves compassion, charity, teaching, or warning, it should always reflect the humility of Christ and point people towards Him. Charity apart from Christ is philanthropy, kindness without Him is humanitarianism, admonition is social consciousness. Christians are freed to serve others and make sacrifices not in the hope of gaining recognition or reward, but because they believe God provides all things in Christ. We can risk, we can sacrifice, we can make ourselves vulnerable because God is trustworthy. We do not have to promote ourselves to Him. Unbelief cannot comprehend the confidence the Spirit gives to the faithful. It is a peace the world cannot understand.
Remember, Satan's schemes are spiritually-focused. He cares little about the offences of unbelievers against God or people. He already has them on side. The devil expends his energy on Christians. Every falsehood and half-truth he propagates has the common purpose of planting seeds of doubt about God's reliability. He makes every effort to discredit the Scriptures or disconnect us from them. Without the Scriptures, we cannot have saving knowledge of the true God. Human opinion, regardless of how rational or practical it seems can never be an infallible guide for faith and life. True knowledge of God was lost with the fall into sin. That knowledge is recovered only in the revelation of the gospel.
You cannot lift yourself up to God. He reaches down to you. Jesus described the crowds today as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”1 We’re no different until the Holy Spirit reaches us with the gospel, until He cleanses us with baptismal water and kindles faith in our hearts. It’s not healthy people that need a doctor, but those who are sick. If we were righteous on our own we would have no worries before God. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”2
We can’t opt out of original sin. No one can decide not to be a sinner. Certainly, you can and should be determined not to commit sin. We should pray that the Holy Spirit would shape our thoughts, filter our words, and govern our actions to the end that we might not offend God or harm our neighbour. The regenerated person, the person converted from unbelief to faith, seeks to walk in step with the Spirit. Still, we remain sinners in reality and in truth. We stand in need of grace…always. The soul always needs to be fed with His sacred food. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that when we approach God in the Divine Service we shouldn’t be saying, “I, a poor helpless sinner,”3 as we do in the confession of sins? Perhaps you’re tempted to question whether we deserve punishment “in time and eternity.”4 Such thoughts seem quite rational. How could God be so harsh as to condemn a person who tries their best? And haven’t our sins been previously forgiven anyway?
Dear friends, we need the forgiveness of sins with the same regularity we eat food and breathe air. If we don’t attend regularly to our personal hygiene, we’ll soon notice. Or, at least, others will! The same is true for our spiritual lives. The moment we think forgiveness is optional, unnecessary, or redundant is the very hour we are in danger. Who are we to throw down the challenge before the Almighty? Who are we to question His justice? We are the mortals. He is eternal. He is not vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the cosmos. He upholds the very fabric of the universe.
We have no negotiating power before Him. We bring nothing to the table. But, dear friends, we do not stand before Him alone. There is One who is more than worthy to speak on our behalf. There is One who lived in perfect obedience and died in perfect sacrifice. The Scripture says, “We have One who speaks to the Father in our defence- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”5 We stand in the grace of Christ. Still, we yearn to have the promise of His absolution comfort our souls. There is no contradiction in these realities.
Today, Jesus had compassion on the crowds. Can we measure the compassion of Christ? St. Paul prays for the Christians in Ephesus asking that they, “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”6 The mercy of Christ, His unconditional sacrificial love can only be grasped by faith. Otherwise, He appears at best by human reason to be a benevolent martyr. But an example of altruism doesn’t begin to characterize the work of Christ for us and for our salvation. His terrifying death on the cross and glorious resurrection from the dead express to us Good News that simply cannot be overstated. Sin, death, Satan and hell are defeated by the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. Whatever other enemies we have besides these are insignificant in the end. The Saviour says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”7
Therefore, we are content, but we are always yearning. It’s similar to having true peace in a chaotic world. Remember what the apostle said today, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”8 He will not disappoint us. He will gather His harvest. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Pentecost
18 June 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 9:36
2 Romans 5:8
3 LH page 6
4 LH page 6
5 1 John 2:1-2
6 Ephesians 3:18-19
7 John 10:28
8Romans 5:1-2
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Holy Trinity (A) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 28:19-20
Theme: His Ever-Present Love
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God is a compulsive lover. To say that God loves compulsively is to say that He is driven to do so as an expression of His true nature. Because God is giver; it is His nature to love. His nature and love are expressed in His activity towards us. God creates, sustains and redeems. He does these things according to His nature as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is nothing more relevant to all people than the intent and activity of God. It is His intent to love people until the end. Christ is the end; just as He is the beginning. The activity of Christ is the definitive expression of the love of the triune God.
God loves us concretely and not abstractly, so the expression of His love connotes His presence. God is present everywhere, but He desires to be present with human beings in a saving manner. When Christ said to His disciples, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,”1 He didn’t mean He was merely with them in thought or in some abstract way. He meant He would still be with them in a definite manner with power to act. The specifics involve the Holy Spirit, the word and the sacraments. Through these means, and because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ, the fullness of God is communicated to believers.
From the original creation, through the believer’s spiritual resurrection in baptism, to the final establishment of the new heaven and earth, the Trinity shares His life with the world. It’s a life that’s often rejected as people prefer to make their own way in the world. The mind held captive by selfishness and unbelief will always do what the heart desires. The heart that is not regenerated, not enlightened by the gospel, will always desire to be sovereign. And that is the epitome of sinfulness; the arrogance that makes one’s self, one’s master. Now, that can be pursed in a most civil manner, mind you. The perpetration of evil against others is not necessarily the intent. Yet, self-autonomy always has as its consequence estrangement from God and lack of love for the neighbour. The Holy Spirit’s task is indeed a monumental one. He must not only bring life and light where there is spiritual death and darkness, but He must also continually sanctify and renew us believers who, nevertheless, remain sinners. He is up to the task.
There could hardly be a more fitting occasion than Trinity Sunday for a baptism. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”2 In baptism, the Holy Spirit makes entry into the lives of those who were spiritually dead in sin. And He doesn’t just pass through. He accompanies God’s word at all times. He takes you again and again through the cleansing waters; each and every time your sins are laid at the feet of the Crucified and you receive His mercy. Your age or aptitude don’t matter. The promise of God’s grace is the same for the infant as it is for the mature person. Jesus was crucified and He rose again for all. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This same Saviour feeds us with holy food from His altar.
The blessings we participate in here should not be taken for granted. Christianity is quickly falling out of favour with the culture at large. Values that used to be shared are being abandoned or overturned. And these aren’t simply matters of politics or philosophy. Humility in the face of an Almighty Creator and Judge is thought by many to be a quaint vestige of a faith system that’s had its day. The orderliness that God instituted for the wellbeing of church, government, and community is being rejected in favour of the supreme right of the individual. Anarchy’s history is not pretty but the lesson must be learned again, and again.
Dear friends, we must understand, clearly, for example, what some in our society are advocating for in matters of sexuality and marriage. Our culture has long since given up the view of sanctity in marriage. Casual sexual relationships have been the norm for some time, even among Christians. And now the agenda is pushing right past the question of homosexual unions to question of gender identity. Should children not only be allowed, but even encouraged to choose their own gender! It will do no good to bury our heads in the sand. These matters affect us all. The truth of God’s created order is at stake and this pertains to the secular society as well as the church.
Satan cultivates the soil deeply, scatters the seed broadly, and waters the ground frequently. But we are wise to his intentions. He seeks to part us from the truth. Underlying these matters is the question of what is true and how value is assessed. Do humans at any place and time make a collective judgment, or is there an unalterable truth that transcends ages, epochs, and cultures? Does everything change of necessity, constantly morphing into something else? Or does the unchanging God restore to permanence and perfection that which had become corrupted? A collision of worldviews is in motion. The attendant circumstances are different, but the struggle is the same one that always confronts the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”3 The Bible promises the oppression of Christian truth, not acceptance. It speaks of persecution, not privilege. It calls for sacrifice, not selfishness. Only the narrow road reaches the destination. Living by God’s grace isn’t about popularity, but integrity.
But Christians aren’t defeatists. We know God is with us. How do you know that Christ is with you when the results come back from the doctor and the diagnosis is cancer? How do you know Christ is with you when the phone rings in the middle of the night because there’s been a tragedy? How do you know Christ is with you when your marriage seems to be falling apart? How do you know Christ is with you when you are depressed, or feel lost and despairing? How do you know Christ is with you when you are overcome with anxiety and uncertainty about the future? Jesus came in the flesh. He suffered, conquered death, and He will come again. He knows us intimately.
We so easily and sometimes eagerly draw false conclusions. Don’t conclude that because some crisis in your life didn’t work out to your satisfaction that God wasn’t with you. Don’t base your understanding on some apparent sign, perception, or feeling. Rely on what you know of the nature and will of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. We are all by doubters by nature. But God is trustworthy. Even His chastisement is for our good. He will not abandon you. He cherishes your very soul.
Not only is Christ with you, He is in you, and most importantly for you. He is “for you” on the altar of sacrifice. He is “for you” in the midst of Satan’s accusations. He is “for you” when you are drowning in your sins. He is “for you” in the face of death. He is “for you” before the judgment seat. The triune God is with us and that as a compulsive lover. Today is Trinity Sunday. Rejoice that you bear His name! “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”4
+ In nomine Jesu +
Holy Trinity
11 June 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 28:20
2 Matthew 28:19-20
3 John 18:36
4 2 Corinthians 13:14
Text: Matthew 28:19-20
Theme: His Ever-Present Love
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God is a compulsive lover. To say that God loves compulsively is to say that He is driven to do so as an expression of His true nature. Because God is giver; it is His nature to love. His nature and love are expressed in His activity towards us. God creates, sustains and redeems. He does these things according to His nature as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is nothing more relevant to all people than the intent and activity of God. It is His intent to love people until the end. Christ is the end; just as He is the beginning. The activity of Christ is the definitive expression of the love of the triune God.
God loves us concretely and not abstractly, so the expression of His love connotes His presence. God is present everywhere, but He desires to be present with human beings in a saving manner. When Christ said to His disciples, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,”1 He didn’t mean He was merely with them in thought or in some abstract way. He meant He would still be with them in a definite manner with power to act. The specifics involve the Holy Spirit, the word and the sacraments. Through these means, and because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ, the fullness of God is communicated to believers.
From the original creation, through the believer’s spiritual resurrection in baptism, to the final establishment of the new heaven and earth, the Trinity shares His life with the world. It’s a life that’s often rejected as people prefer to make their own way in the world. The mind held captive by selfishness and unbelief will always do what the heart desires. The heart that is not regenerated, not enlightened by the gospel, will always desire to be sovereign. And that is the epitome of sinfulness; the arrogance that makes one’s self, one’s master. Now, that can be pursed in a most civil manner, mind you. The perpetration of evil against others is not necessarily the intent. Yet, self-autonomy always has as its consequence estrangement from God and lack of love for the neighbour. The Holy Spirit’s task is indeed a monumental one. He must not only bring life and light where there is spiritual death and darkness, but He must also continually sanctify and renew us believers who, nevertheless, remain sinners. He is up to the task.
There could hardly be a more fitting occasion than Trinity Sunday for a baptism. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”2 In baptism, the Holy Spirit makes entry into the lives of those who were spiritually dead in sin. And He doesn’t just pass through. He accompanies God’s word at all times. He takes you again and again through the cleansing waters; each and every time your sins are laid at the feet of the Crucified and you receive His mercy. Your age or aptitude don’t matter. The promise of God’s grace is the same for the infant as it is for the mature person. Jesus was crucified and He rose again for all. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This same Saviour feeds us with holy food from His altar.
The blessings we participate in here should not be taken for granted. Christianity is quickly falling out of favour with the culture at large. Values that used to be shared are being abandoned or overturned. And these aren’t simply matters of politics or philosophy. Humility in the face of an Almighty Creator and Judge is thought by many to be a quaint vestige of a faith system that’s had its day. The orderliness that God instituted for the wellbeing of church, government, and community is being rejected in favour of the supreme right of the individual. Anarchy’s history is not pretty but the lesson must be learned again, and again.
Dear friends, we must understand, clearly, for example, what some in our society are advocating for in matters of sexuality and marriage. Our culture has long since given up the view of sanctity in marriage. Casual sexual relationships have been the norm for some time, even among Christians. And now the agenda is pushing right past the question of homosexual unions to question of gender identity. Should children not only be allowed, but even encouraged to choose their own gender! It will do no good to bury our heads in the sand. These matters affect us all. The truth of God’s created order is at stake and this pertains to the secular society as well as the church.
Satan cultivates the soil deeply, scatters the seed broadly, and waters the ground frequently. But we are wise to his intentions. He seeks to part us from the truth. Underlying these matters is the question of what is true and how value is assessed. Do humans at any place and time make a collective judgment, or is there an unalterable truth that transcends ages, epochs, and cultures? Does everything change of necessity, constantly morphing into something else? Or does the unchanging God restore to permanence and perfection that which had become corrupted? A collision of worldviews is in motion. The attendant circumstances are different, but the struggle is the same one that always confronts the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”3 The Bible promises the oppression of Christian truth, not acceptance. It speaks of persecution, not privilege. It calls for sacrifice, not selfishness. Only the narrow road reaches the destination. Living by God’s grace isn’t about popularity, but integrity.
But Christians aren’t defeatists. We know God is with us. How do you know that Christ is with you when the results come back from the doctor and the diagnosis is cancer? How do you know Christ is with you when the phone rings in the middle of the night because there’s been a tragedy? How do you know Christ is with you when your marriage seems to be falling apart? How do you know Christ is with you when you are depressed, or feel lost and despairing? How do you know Christ is with you when you are overcome with anxiety and uncertainty about the future? Jesus came in the flesh. He suffered, conquered death, and He will come again. He knows us intimately.
We so easily and sometimes eagerly draw false conclusions. Don’t conclude that because some crisis in your life didn’t work out to your satisfaction that God wasn’t with you. Don’t base your understanding on some apparent sign, perception, or feeling. Rely on what you know of the nature and will of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. We are all by doubters by nature. But God is trustworthy. Even His chastisement is for our good. He will not abandon you. He cherishes your very soul.
Not only is Christ with you, He is in you, and most importantly for you. He is “for you” on the altar of sacrifice. He is “for you” in the midst of Satan’s accusations. He is “for you” when you are drowning in your sins. He is “for you” in the face of death. He is “for you” before the judgment seat. The triune God is with us and that as a compulsive lover. Today is Trinity Sunday. Rejoice that you bear His name! “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”4
+ In nomine Jesu +
Holy Trinity
11 June 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 28:20
2 Matthew 28:19-20
3 John 18:36
4 2 Corinthians 13:14
Monday, June 5, 2017
Day of Pentecost (A) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Acts 2:4
Theme: The Spirit’s Work
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God keeps His promises. If we don’t have that confidence as the core conviction of our faith, then we don’t have much that matters. God is faithful. The Scripture says, “No matter how many promises God has made they are “Yes” in Christ.”1 God is true to Himself and that means He is trustworthy in all circumstances. The Creator of the universe is not too busy to attend to your tiniest fear. He is competent to fulfill all His greatest promises. Nothing scares Him. Nothing baffles Him. Nothing discourages Him. Death cannot defeat Him.
Today is Pentecost. Today we reflect on the completion of another of Christ’s promises. The Holy Spirit was sent to the apostles and through His witness in them Christianity exploded onto the scene. More important than remembering, however, is our participation in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the church and in the world. There are no truly idle believers in the Christian Church because faith that is not active in love is not genuine faith. We, too, are witnesses, martyrs, as our Spirit-given faith becomes evident in deeds of love.
Today, though, is not the only day the Holy Spirit is honoured. The work of the triune God never lacks coordination. The Holy Spirit always works in concert with the Father and the Son. From the original creation, through the believer’s spiritual resurrection in baptism, to the final establishment of the new heaven and earth, the Trinity shares His life with the world. Today the reversal of the dispersion at Babel continues as the Holy Spirit gathers people from every language to Himself. At Babel God’s word of judgment brought separation. At Pentecost, His word of reconciliation brings reunion.
Reconciliation would not be needed if the relationship had not been severed. The Holy Spirit comes to sinners. Still, many do not receive Him. Rejecting His blessings, they choose their own gods. Arrogance or apathy leads the hardened heart to believe it is without sin, or not accountable for the same. That’s why the first activity of the Holy Spirit is always the working of repentance. Otherwise, the deception continues and there is no need for the gospel. Dear friends, when we lie to God we lie to the Holy Spirit. When we sin against our neighbour we sin against the Holy Spirit. When we defy our own conscience, we offend the Holy Spirit. Our sins are never simply horizontal in their complications. All sin is an offense to God first and foremost. But where the Holy spirit dwells reconciliation with God is achieved.
Perhaps you’ve wondered if the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you, if He’s working in your life? Perhaps you’ve worried about feeling His presence or sought ways to measure His activity. Don’t stress over evidence. Cling to His word. Remember, you are baptized. In that event the Holy Spirit made entry into your life. And He wasn’t just passing through. He accompanies God’s word at all times. He takes you again and again through the cleansing waters; each and every time your sins are laid at the feet of the Crucified and you receive His mercy. He continually refits and repairs your spiritual armor. He stands in front of you when Satan shoots his flaming arrows. He advocates for you when the devil makes his convincing accusations. He fortifies your conviction when Satan plants seeds of doubt into your mind. He brings joy to your heart every time you reflect upon the eternal inheritance you have been promised. For weary souls who can’t see beyond a dark tunnel of vision, the Holy Spirit beams a brilliant light upon the crucified Saviour and opens the scene to the horizon of the resurrection.
Living in this world, however, does not involve an unhindered contemplation of the heavenly future. We’re in the fray. In case you haven’t noticed, Christianity isn’t exactly in vogue at the moment. The pressures are mounting. Perhaps, in the past, it was viewed favourably to a large degree. It was seen, even by many unbelievers, as part of the moral foundation of society. Now the script is being flipped and some of those very same convictions are considered evil. For example, it’s not simply that the sanctity of marriage is being compromised because of lack of self-control- that will always be the case in this fallen world- the very definition of sexuality is being turned on its head. It’s not just the parameters for engaging in sexual activity that are being argued- whether within marriage, outside of marriage, between people of the same gender etc., - but the very identity of a person as male or female.
Christianity has no monopoly of understanding here. The biological laws of nature are fundamental to the discussion. At that level, it makes little difference if one believes, as Christianity teaches, that God created male and female, or if evolution (though a false premise) dominates one’s worldview on the matter. Either way, the complementarity of the sexes necessary for the propagation of the human race is self-evident. The case for any child having a mother and a father is deeply grounded biologically, domestically, and biblically.
Underlying these matters is the question of what is true and how value is assessed. Do humans at any place and time make a collective judgment, or is there an unalterable truth that transcends ages, epochs, and cultures? Does everything change of necessity, constantly morphing into something else? Or does the unchanging God restore to permanence and perfection that which had become corrupted? A collision of worldviews is in motion. The attendant circumstances are different, but the struggle is the same one that always confronts the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”2 The Bible promises the oppression of Christian truth, not acceptance. It speaks of persecution, not privilege. It calls for sacrifice, not selfishness. Only the narrow road reaches the destination. Living by God’s grace isn’t about popularity, but integrity. Christians aren’t defeatists, but realists.
The apostles were sent out into a world that wasn’t that different from ours. The standard of living may not have been comparable, but the moral fiber of society was. They might not have had mobile phones, but they had gossip chains. They might not have had reversible cameras for taking selfies, but they had narcissism nonetheless. They might not have had organized atheist societies or practitioners of Satanic worship in today’s sense, but they had plenty who lived in the dark about the true love of God revealed in Christ. The gospel of salvation which brings life to dying souls never becomes obsolete. The Holy Spirit doesn’t age and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.3
The Holy Spirit comes to sinners. And He brings us into contact with God’s Son through the means He has appointed. The Scripture says, “This is the One who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”4 In the breaking of the bread the disciples’ eyes were opened. The Holy Spirit uses communion as a sacrament of revelation as well as a way to dispense forgiveness. The unified testimony of these means of grace is the same testimony given on Pentecost: Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. He was crucified for our sins. He lives, never to die again. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Day of Pentecost
4 June 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 1:20
2 John 18:36
3 See Hebrews 13:8
4 1 John 5:6-8
Text: Acts 2:4
Theme: The Spirit’s Work
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God keeps His promises. If we don’t have that confidence as the core conviction of our faith, then we don’t have much that matters. God is faithful. The Scripture says, “No matter how many promises God has made they are “Yes” in Christ.”1 God is true to Himself and that means He is trustworthy in all circumstances. The Creator of the universe is not too busy to attend to your tiniest fear. He is competent to fulfill all His greatest promises. Nothing scares Him. Nothing baffles Him. Nothing discourages Him. Death cannot defeat Him.
Today is Pentecost. Today we reflect on the completion of another of Christ’s promises. The Holy Spirit was sent to the apostles and through His witness in them Christianity exploded onto the scene. More important than remembering, however, is our participation in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the church and in the world. There are no truly idle believers in the Christian Church because faith that is not active in love is not genuine faith. We, too, are witnesses, martyrs, as our Spirit-given faith becomes evident in deeds of love.
Today, though, is not the only day the Holy Spirit is honoured. The work of the triune God never lacks coordination. The Holy Spirit always works in concert with the Father and the Son. From the original creation, through the believer’s spiritual resurrection in baptism, to the final establishment of the new heaven and earth, the Trinity shares His life with the world. Today the reversal of the dispersion at Babel continues as the Holy Spirit gathers people from every language to Himself. At Babel God’s word of judgment brought separation. At Pentecost, His word of reconciliation brings reunion.
Reconciliation would not be needed if the relationship had not been severed. The Holy Spirit comes to sinners. Still, many do not receive Him. Rejecting His blessings, they choose their own gods. Arrogance or apathy leads the hardened heart to believe it is without sin, or not accountable for the same. That’s why the first activity of the Holy Spirit is always the working of repentance. Otherwise, the deception continues and there is no need for the gospel. Dear friends, when we lie to God we lie to the Holy Spirit. When we sin against our neighbour we sin against the Holy Spirit. When we defy our own conscience, we offend the Holy Spirit. Our sins are never simply horizontal in their complications. All sin is an offense to God first and foremost. But where the Holy spirit dwells reconciliation with God is achieved.
Perhaps you’ve wondered if the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you, if He’s working in your life? Perhaps you’ve worried about feeling His presence or sought ways to measure His activity. Don’t stress over evidence. Cling to His word. Remember, you are baptized. In that event the Holy Spirit made entry into your life. And He wasn’t just passing through. He accompanies God’s word at all times. He takes you again and again through the cleansing waters; each and every time your sins are laid at the feet of the Crucified and you receive His mercy. He continually refits and repairs your spiritual armor. He stands in front of you when Satan shoots his flaming arrows. He advocates for you when the devil makes his convincing accusations. He fortifies your conviction when Satan plants seeds of doubt into your mind. He brings joy to your heart every time you reflect upon the eternal inheritance you have been promised. For weary souls who can’t see beyond a dark tunnel of vision, the Holy Spirit beams a brilliant light upon the crucified Saviour and opens the scene to the horizon of the resurrection.
Living in this world, however, does not involve an unhindered contemplation of the heavenly future. We’re in the fray. In case you haven’t noticed, Christianity isn’t exactly in vogue at the moment. The pressures are mounting. Perhaps, in the past, it was viewed favourably to a large degree. It was seen, even by many unbelievers, as part of the moral foundation of society. Now the script is being flipped and some of those very same convictions are considered evil. For example, it’s not simply that the sanctity of marriage is being compromised because of lack of self-control- that will always be the case in this fallen world- the very definition of sexuality is being turned on its head. It’s not just the parameters for engaging in sexual activity that are being argued- whether within marriage, outside of marriage, between people of the same gender etc., - but the very identity of a person as male or female.
Christianity has no monopoly of understanding here. The biological laws of nature are fundamental to the discussion. At that level, it makes little difference if one believes, as Christianity teaches, that God created male and female, or if evolution (though a false premise) dominates one’s worldview on the matter. Either way, the complementarity of the sexes necessary for the propagation of the human race is self-evident. The case for any child having a mother and a father is deeply grounded biologically, domestically, and biblically.
Underlying these matters is the question of what is true and how value is assessed. Do humans at any place and time make a collective judgment, or is there an unalterable truth that transcends ages, epochs, and cultures? Does everything change of necessity, constantly morphing into something else? Or does the unchanging God restore to permanence and perfection that which had become corrupted? A collision of worldviews is in motion. The attendant circumstances are different, but the struggle is the same one that always confronts the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”2 The Bible promises the oppression of Christian truth, not acceptance. It speaks of persecution, not privilege. It calls for sacrifice, not selfishness. Only the narrow road reaches the destination. Living by God’s grace isn’t about popularity, but integrity. Christians aren’t defeatists, but realists.
The apostles were sent out into a world that wasn’t that different from ours. The standard of living may not have been comparable, but the moral fiber of society was. They might not have had mobile phones, but they had gossip chains. They might not have had reversible cameras for taking selfies, but they had narcissism nonetheless. They might not have had organized atheist societies or practitioners of Satanic worship in today’s sense, but they had plenty who lived in the dark about the true love of God revealed in Christ. The gospel of salvation which brings life to dying souls never becomes obsolete. The Holy Spirit doesn’t age and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.3
The Holy Spirit comes to sinners. And He brings us into contact with God’s Son through the means He has appointed. The Scripture says, “This is the One who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”4 In the breaking of the bread the disciples’ eyes were opened. The Holy Spirit uses communion as a sacrament of revelation as well as a way to dispense forgiveness. The unified testimony of these means of grace is the same testimony given on Pentecost: Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. He was crucified for our sins. He lives, never to die again. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Day of Pentecost
4 June 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 1:20
2 John 18:36
3 See Hebrews 13:8
4 1 John 5:6-8
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Seventh Sunday of Easter (A) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Acts 1:9
Theme: Jesus Ascended; Still Present.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus ascended, but He’s still present. His bodily presence is veiled, but His grace and power remains among us. In the promise of forgiveness, in the body and blood of the sacrament, in the reviving waters of baptism; He is present. These means communicate His saving redemption. Yes, of course, God is the authority that keeps the governance of the cosmos in operation, from the rotation of the earth, to the sprouting of the seed, and the conception of new life. Immediate collapse would result if He withdrew. Yet, to you and me, mortal, sinners, generic providence is a fleeting blessing. We require access to immortality. Only Christ can grant it.
Today is the Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost. While praying to the Father, Jesus said of His disciples, “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name.”1 It’s a powerful reminder of Christ’s ongoing work. Christ prays with us. You never pray alone; not even if you are the only one in the house, the only one in the room, or seem to be the only one in your headspace. Christ taught His followers to begin the Lord’s Prayer saying, “Our Father.”2 Also, the Holy Spirit intercedes with divine utterances. He knows what to pray for when we can’t find the thoughts or the words. He knows what to pray for when we are too weak, too angry, too lost.
So, gathered near Bethany with the Eleven, Jesus bodily ascended to the Father’s hand of power and commissioned the apostles to be His witnesses once the Holy Spirit was sent. The apostles were joined suddenly by two angels, who told them Jesus would come again in the same manner. Thus, as we reflect upon the 40 days Jesus remained on earth after His resurrection, our thoughts turn also to His imminent return in glory.
Much is made by some scholars about the expectation of the early Christians, and particularly of Paul, of the imminent return of Christ. Many, it is claimed, did not expect their children's lifespans to reach their maturity before Jesus’ Second Coming. There is solid biblical evidence to support this thesis. Christ and the apostles warn the faithful to be prepared for the end. Yet, it’s nearly 2000 years later…and the years roll on. Was there some misunderstanding? God is not limited by our understanding of time. Whether He returns tomorrow, in 100 years, or in 1000 years should make no difference to how we live in the present. The implications are very practical. God knows how we live. He knows how we allocate your resources. He knows what we hoard, what we waste, when we are generous and when we are stingy. He knows how we love or fail to love others. He knows what we put our trust in. Christ may come for any of us, individually, this very hour.
You may have seen a t-shirt with a message that says, "Look busy, Jesus is coming back!" It's a tongue-in-cheek take on a serious reality. But merely keeping up appearances will do no good. God reads the heart. He knows our words before we speak them and our thoughts before we think them. If our actions aren't a true reflection of our convictions we are shown to be hypocrites. God will not be deceived. We will have no leverage with which to convince Him otherwise. There will be no second chances upon His arrival. The time for repentance is always now, never later. Don’t spend any time on a strategy trying to justify your sins. Confess them. Don’t look for loopholes in the law or make comparisons with those you believe to be less godly. Neither evasion nor arrogance will accomplish anything. Look in the mirror and trust that the person you see there is the same one who will stand before the Judge.
But, dear friends, believers have nothing to fear when Christ returns. It will be an event of tremendous excitement and anticipation. We will suffer no angst or anxiety. Our judgment has already been rendered. Our sentence has already been served. Our debt has already been paid. God is not slack in His judgment. But He isn't stingy with His love either. His love is so magnanimous that He meets the requirements of His own justice. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed that we might be spared. He was condemned to be crucified. He was sentenced to death. He bore the weight of the world’s transgressions. He entered the darkness. He silenced Satan. He was raised. He is living. We are free. And we are free not to be independent, but to live in community. Christ reconstitutes the community of God, the “one, holy Christian and apostolic Church.”3 Jesus is the origin of all things. He is the centre. He is the destination. The Bible says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.”4
We’re not saying here that these truths are perceptible to our senses or emotions. Even at His ascension the disciples were asking if Jesus was about to establish an earthly kingdom. Why were they still asking that? Because that’s what was tangible to them. An earthly kingdom was perceptible, relatable. It’s the same challenge we have. So, there is always need for clarity and distinction. Nothing can be said so clearly that someone cannot misunderstand it. The Holy Spirit makes clear the truth in the hearts and minds of those who believe. He shows us the Son who brings with Him the presence and gifts of the Father. But we are always under temptation to waver. Satan knows the weak points. He knows what puffs us up with pride and he knows what tempts us to doubt and despair.
We cannot understand the communication of the Spirit except through faith. It’s not directly tangible to us. A child who has not yet acquired literacy can receive a copy of the parent's will, but still won’t know anything of the inheritance until the contents are communicated in a different manner. The words of Scripture can be studied or received by anyone who has the capacity, but they cannot be understood as to their spiritual meaning except through the Spirit. Spiritual literacy is not a matter of intellectual capacity, but of revelation made to the heart and communication made to the conscience. The Scriptures are written in human language but their effectiveness requires divine working.
Dear friends, when we are lacking conviction about whether God is present or working in our lives we are in good company. Early believers too, needed the constant reassurance of the gospel promises. What does Peter say today? “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”5 Now, care is a concept we can relate to. But, how understated it is in God’s case! He cared enough to sacrifice everything in service to us.
How will you meet the coming Christ? You may have anxiety when you try to picture it now in your mind’s eye. But when the trumpet sounds, the heaven is rent, and He appears with a retinue of angels, you will be astounded and filled with excitement and joy. We will be absorbed in jubilation far beyond what we can now begin to imagine. And it won’t matter if you are already dead. The dead will be raised, their bodies reunited with their souls and all believers will be transferred into glory. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday of Easter
28 May 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 17:11
2 Matthew 6:9
3 The Nicene Creed
4 Colossians 1:17-18
5 1 Peter 5:6-7
Text: Acts 1:9
Theme: Jesus Ascended; Still Present.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus ascended, but He’s still present. His bodily presence is veiled, but His grace and power remains among us. In the promise of forgiveness, in the body and blood of the sacrament, in the reviving waters of baptism; He is present. These means communicate His saving redemption. Yes, of course, God is the authority that keeps the governance of the cosmos in operation, from the rotation of the earth, to the sprouting of the seed, and the conception of new life. Immediate collapse would result if He withdrew. Yet, to you and me, mortal, sinners, generic providence is a fleeting blessing. We require access to immortality. Only Christ can grant it.
Today is the Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost. While praying to the Father, Jesus said of His disciples, “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name.”1 It’s a powerful reminder of Christ’s ongoing work. Christ prays with us. You never pray alone; not even if you are the only one in the house, the only one in the room, or seem to be the only one in your headspace. Christ taught His followers to begin the Lord’s Prayer saying, “Our Father.”2 Also, the Holy Spirit intercedes with divine utterances. He knows what to pray for when we can’t find the thoughts or the words. He knows what to pray for when we are too weak, too angry, too lost.
So, gathered near Bethany with the Eleven, Jesus bodily ascended to the Father’s hand of power and commissioned the apostles to be His witnesses once the Holy Spirit was sent. The apostles were joined suddenly by two angels, who told them Jesus would come again in the same manner. Thus, as we reflect upon the 40 days Jesus remained on earth after His resurrection, our thoughts turn also to His imminent return in glory.
Much is made by some scholars about the expectation of the early Christians, and particularly of Paul, of the imminent return of Christ. Many, it is claimed, did not expect their children's lifespans to reach their maturity before Jesus’ Second Coming. There is solid biblical evidence to support this thesis. Christ and the apostles warn the faithful to be prepared for the end. Yet, it’s nearly 2000 years later…and the years roll on. Was there some misunderstanding? God is not limited by our understanding of time. Whether He returns tomorrow, in 100 years, or in 1000 years should make no difference to how we live in the present. The implications are very practical. God knows how we live. He knows how we allocate your resources. He knows what we hoard, what we waste, when we are generous and when we are stingy. He knows how we love or fail to love others. He knows what we put our trust in. Christ may come for any of us, individually, this very hour.
You may have seen a t-shirt with a message that says, "Look busy, Jesus is coming back!" It's a tongue-in-cheek take on a serious reality. But merely keeping up appearances will do no good. God reads the heart. He knows our words before we speak them and our thoughts before we think them. If our actions aren't a true reflection of our convictions we are shown to be hypocrites. God will not be deceived. We will have no leverage with which to convince Him otherwise. There will be no second chances upon His arrival. The time for repentance is always now, never later. Don’t spend any time on a strategy trying to justify your sins. Confess them. Don’t look for loopholes in the law or make comparisons with those you believe to be less godly. Neither evasion nor arrogance will accomplish anything. Look in the mirror and trust that the person you see there is the same one who will stand before the Judge.
But, dear friends, believers have nothing to fear when Christ returns. It will be an event of tremendous excitement and anticipation. We will suffer no angst or anxiety. Our judgment has already been rendered. Our sentence has already been served. Our debt has already been paid. God is not slack in His judgment. But He isn't stingy with His love either. His love is so magnanimous that He meets the requirements of His own justice. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed that we might be spared. He was condemned to be crucified. He was sentenced to death. He bore the weight of the world’s transgressions. He entered the darkness. He silenced Satan. He was raised. He is living. We are free. And we are free not to be independent, but to live in community. Christ reconstitutes the community of God, the “one, holy Christian and apostolic Church.”3 Jesus is the origin of all things. He is the centre. He is the destination. The Bible says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.”4
We’re not saying here that these truths are perceptible to our senses or emotions. Even at His ascension the disciples were asking if Jesus was about to establish an earthly kingdom. Why were they still asking that? Because that’s what was tangible to them. An earthly kingdom was perceptible, relatable. It’s the same challenge we have. So, there is always need for clarity and distinction. Nothing can be said so clearly that someone cannot misunderstand it. The Holy Spirit makes clear the truth in the hearts and minds of those who believe. He shows us the Son who brings with Him the presence and gifts of the Father. But we are always under temptation to waver. Satan knows the weak points. He knows what puffs us up with pride and he knows what tempts us to doubt and despair.
We cannot understand the communication of the Spirit except through faith. It’s not directly tangible to us. A child who has not yet acquired literacy can receive a copy of the parent's will, but still won’t know anything of the inheritance until the contents are communicated in a different manner. The words of Scripture can be studied or received by anyone who has the capacity, but they cannot be understood as to their spiritual meaning except through the Spirit. Spiritual literacy is not a matter of intellectual capacity, but of revelation made to the heart and communication made to the conscience. The Scriptures are written in human language but their effectiveness requires divine working.
Dear friends, when we are lacking conviction about whether God is present or working in our lives we are in good company. Early believers too, needed the constant reassurance of the gospel promises. What does Peter say today? “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”5 Now, care is a concept we can relate to. But, how understated it is in God’s case! He cared enough to sacrifice everything in service to us.
How will you meet the coming Christ? You may have anxiety when you try to picture it now in your mind’s eye. But when the trumpet sounds, the heaven is rent, and He appears with a retinue of angels, you will be astounded and filled with excitement and joy. We will be absorbed in jubilation far beyond what we can now begin to imagine. And it won’t matter if you are already dead. The dead will be raised, their bodies reunited with their souls and all believers will be transferred into glory. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday of Easter
28 May 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 17:11
2 Matthew 6:9
3 The Nicene Creed
4 Colossians 1:17-18
5 1 Peter 5:6-7
Friday, May 26, 2017
Christian Burial of Tyler Shane Lange 26 May 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 14:1-6
Theme: Home
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Tyler, and especially you Deanne, Andrew, Ebony, Ashlee; and all of you gathered here in their support,
“In My Father’s house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you.”1 That is the promise of the One who holds the keys to the house. Tyler is home. He has no worries, cares, or anxieties. He has no distresses, demands, or difficulties. He is not burdened with regret. We may be overwhelmed with remorse, and understandably so. We might even be resentful. Not Tyler! His soul has been received directly into the presence of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The power of sin and all of its consequences has been broken for him- for all eternity. He is home.
Tyler no longer needs anything from us. This casket contains only his mortal frame; a frame destined to be raised again on the great day of the resurrection of the dead. No, Tyler needs nothing from us, yet he gives to us more than just memories of times past. The brevity of his life gives us opportunity to refocus our priorities and perspectives. Paying lip-service to our mortality is a dangerous business. Life-expectancy is a statistical calculation. It means nothing for individuals. The order in which things normally happen doesn’t always hold. When expectations are shattered, we can be devastated. Losing those who are young and vibrant challenges our guttural instinct. It raises questions of unfairness and injustice.
Grief has no rules. It only has victims. Shock, numbness, anger, guilt, regret, despair, hopelessness…these swirl around in a complex vortex of darkness and doubt. The heart becomes sick. Foundational convictions are challenged and reviewed in our minds. Can God really be trusted? Does life have purpose? What does it all mean? The details of our futures are not revealed to us. Such knowledge would often cripple our participation in the present. Tyler led a vibrant, active, genuine life. He was not restricted by fear. He lived in the present, valuing each day.
I had the privilege of spending a year with Tyler in 2009 during confirmation instruction. Students were given a 10-point quiz each week as we worked our way through the basic teachings of the Christian faith. It’s nearly impossible to get young, healthy kids to reflect on the frailty and preciousness of life. Life seems too certain, too much a given at that age. But it is possible to teach 13-year-olds that life has a source, a purpose, and a destiny. There’s more to existence than meets the eye. On this particular quiz, for which He received perfect marks, Tyler was answering a question about the very crux of the gospel. Why is the gospel truly good news? It is good news because it resolves the greatest crises of existence. Sin, death, and separation from God are defeated by the One who suffered to serve us. The One who was crucified.
Tyler did not go to a cross for punishment. That debt was already paid. The Substitute has already been sacrificed; for Tyler, for you, for me. Christ understands grief. He entered a darkness from which no human had returned. He entered the crucible of punishment for the collective sins of fallen humanity. He emerged victorious over death. Tyler’s confirmation verse was, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”2 Words spoken by Christ, they remind us tomorrow is not guaranteed, so we should hold tightly the promise of God’s grace. It is life to the soul.
We live in an increasingly volatile world. Terrorism, violence, addiction, and despair remind us of the fallenness of humanity. Collectively and individually, we are vulnerable. Life is precious. Every breath is a gift. Nothing temporal is certain. Eternal things, though, are otherwise. Salvation is by grace, through faith. There is no other way. Death wins lots of little victories. It cannot win the war. It causes a lot of pain, but it has no permanent authority over God’s people.
Life at any age involves a contest against the temptation to give up or give in, the struggle against serving ourselves, instead of others. Tyler knew how to compete. His passion involved the thrill of the chase and the determination needed to accomplish the goal. But there is only one race that needs to be completed. Tyler has crossed the finish line. He has done it earlier than most.
We still have valid questions. Why Tyler? Why now? Why in that way? But we won’t pretend to have answers. We won’t pretend to grasp reasons. We won’t offer shallow solutions. No one can know the mind of God? But we do know the work of Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies.”3Tyler is celebrating Easter: Life! Life with no encumbrances. Life as the unmediated enjoyment of God’s presence.
The One who holds the keys to the heavenly mansion says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”4 The place prepared for Tyler Lange is now occupied. Thanks be to God!
Deanne, Andrew, Ebony, Ashlee; may God Almighty wrap you in His strong but gentle love until the day of your reunion with Ty. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Tyler Shane Lange
26 May 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 14:2
2 Revelation 3:11
3 John 11:25
4 John 14:1-2
Text: John 14:1-6
Theme: Home
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Tyler, and especially you Deanne, Andrew, Ebony, Ashlee; and all of you gathered here in their support,
“In My Father’s house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you.”1 That is the promise of the One who holds the keys to the house. Tyler is home. He has no worries, cares, or anxieties. He has no distresses, demands, or difficulties. He is not burdened with regret. We may be overwhelmed with remorse, and understandably so. We might even be resentful. Not Tyler! His soul has been received directly into the presence of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The power of sin and all of its consequences has been broken for him- for all eternity. He is home.
Tyler no longer needs anything from us. This casket contains only his mortal frame; a frame destined to be raised again on the great day of the resurrection of the dead. No, Tyler needs nothing from us, yet he gives to us more than just memories of times past. The brevity of his life gives us opportunity to refocus our priorities and perspectives. Paying lip-service to our mortality is a dangerous business. Life-expectancy is a statistical calculation. It means nothing for individuals. The order in which things normally happen doesn’t always hold. When expectations are shattered, we can be devastated. Losing those who are young and vibrant challenges our guttural instinct. It raises questions of unfairness and injustice.
Grief has no rules. It only has victims. Shock, numbness, anger, guilt, regret, despair, hopelessness…these swirl around in a complex vortex of darkness and doubt. The heart becomes sick. Foundational convictions are challenged and reviewed in our minds. Can God really be trusted? Does life have purpose? What does it all mean? The details of our futures are not revealed to us. Such knowledge would often cripple our participation in the present. Tyler led a vibrant, active, genuine life. He was not restricted by fear. He lived in the present, valuing each day.
I had the privilege of spending a year with Tyler in 2009 during confirmation instruction. Students were given a 10-point quiz each week as we worked our way through the basic teachings of the Christian faith. It’s nearly impossible to get young, healthy kids to reflect on the frailty and preciousness of life. Life seems too certain, too much a given at that age. But it is possible to teach 13-year-olds that life has a source, a purpose, and a destiny. There’s more to existence than meets the eye. On this particular quiz, for which He received perfect marks, Tyler was answering a question about the very crux of the gospel. Why is the gospel truly good news? It is good news because it resolves the greatest crises of existence. Sin, death, and separation from God are defeated by the One who suffered to serve us. The One who was crucified.
Tyler did not go to a cross for punishment. That debt was already paid. The Substitute has already been sacrificed; for Tyler, for you, for me. Christ understands grief. He entered a darkness from which no human had returned. He entered the crucible of punishment for the collective sins of fallen humanity. He emerged victorious over death. Tyler’s confirmation verse was, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”2 Words spoken by Christ, they remind us tomorrow is not guaranteed, so we should hold tightly the promise of God’s grace. It is life to the soul.
We live in an increasingly volatile world. Terrorism, violence, addiction, and despair remind us of the fallenness of humanity. Collectively and individually, we are vulnerable. Life is precious. Every breath is a gift. Nothing temporal is certain. Eternal things, though, are otherwise. Salvation is by grace, through faith. There is no other way. Death wins lots of little victories. It cannot win the war. It causes a lot of pain, but it has no permanent authority over God’s people.
Life at any age involves a contest against the temptation to give up or give in, the struggle against serving ourselves, instead of others. Tyler knew how to compete. His passion involved the thrill of the chase and the determination needed to accomplish the goal. But there is only one race that needs to be completed. Tyler has crossed the finish line. He has done it earlier than most.
We still have valid questions. Why Tyler? Why now? Why in that way? But we won’t pretend to have answers. We won’t pretend to grasp reasons. We won’t offer shallow solutions. No one can know the mind of God? But we do know the work of Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies.”3Tyler is celebrating Easter: Life! Life with no encumbrances. Life as the unmediated enjoyment of God’s presence.
The One who holds the keys to the heavenly mansion says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”4 The place prepared for Tyler Lange is now occupied. Thanks be to God!
Deanne, Andrew, Ebony, Ashlee; may God Almighty wrap you in His strong but gentle love until the day of your reunion with Ty. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Tyler Shane Lange
26 May 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 14:2
2 Revelation 3:11
3 John 11:25
4 John 14:1-2
Monday, May 22, 2017
Sixth Sunday of Easter (A) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Acts 17:22-33
Theme: Mute Idols And the Speaking God
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
During his missionary ventures, St Paul visited Athens, Greece. It was still one of the world's intellectual centres at the time. Not coincidentally, he secured an audience with those who gathered at the Areopagus. It was the venue for philosophical discussion. The city, like most of the world in that era, was not short on religious devotees. Paul likely visited the Parthenon where the goddess Athena was worshipped, in addition to the temple of Rome and Augustus. Many at the time believed their fate was in the hands of the pagan gods, whom they needed to appease to gain their favour. The gods were perceived to be short-tempered, unpredictable, and often contradictory in their demands.
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.”1 Paul's reference to the altar dedicated to an unknown god was his opening to introduce the identity of the true God: The Christ who came in flesh and blood. Paul was preaching to them about Jesus and the resurrection. To the Athenians, these were strange new teachings. It was certainly an affront to their idols.
Every age has its idols. Ours is no exception. Some idols are perennial favourites. Money is always near the top of the list. Greed is still a common vice. The Scripture says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”2 Jesus Himself said, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."3
Devotion to sports often gets top billing today. Good competition is healthy, and athletic pursuits of achievement are honourable. But think of the hope invested in victory and the anguish of defeat experienced by so many! Some struggle to find meaning and purpose in life if sporting heroes or dreams fail them. Responsibilities to family and society are pushed aside and God certainly doesn’t get a look in. Many other examples such as work, pleasure, or reputation, could be added to the list.
We won’t find public altars built to unknown idols among us today. But the idolatry enthroned within the heart is no different. The word of God speaks to us with the same message. Paul continued saying, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.”4 There is a reason the First Commandment has primacy. When it’s disregarded both the internal and external ordering of life breaks down. Civility can still hold sway, but only while people still find meaning in life. Otherwise, restraint is necessary. It’s little wonder so many in our society are caught in cycles of addiction, depression, and despair? It’s not just a matter of lack of self-control. A deeper crisis is evident. Missing hope for the future, needing inspiration for the present, lacking meaning for daily living, people turn to destructive behaviors that get them through the moment. The cost is high.
One of the great challenges of pagan idolatry was that you could seldom be certain where you stood with the gods. There was always a price to secure their favour. But the true God is not a selfish and heartless idol. We know where we stand with Him. God's grace in Christ comes with no strings attached. There are no prerequisites to qualify us for His mercy. The Father finds nothing desirable in us, but He finds His Son faithful. He is not drawn to our goodness, but He is accepting of Christ's righteousness. He's not impressed with our obedience, but He's glorified in Christ's sacrifice. He supplies all that we lack.
The love of God does not fade, it does not tire, it does not get bored. God's passion for us never loses its vibrancy. When we go astray He searches for us with the diligence of a shepherd looking for lost sheep. When spiritual sickness attacks our souls, He tends to us like a physician treating a dying patient. When we are under duress from Satan's temptations, He protects us like a soldier defending a helpless child. The pagan idols were believed to have done none of these things. Christ says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”5
Dear friends, the precious blood of Christ was spilled for you. The crown was fitted. The nails were driven. The cross was lifted…for YOU! He stayed only a Sabbath’s rest in the grave that you might have life in heaven for eternity. You don’t need to rely on any of your own holiness because His is more than enough. We are saved by grace, through faith. You are His baptized and you are fed with His heavenly mana. The apostle says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”6
Thursday marks the day of Christ’s bodily ascension to the Father’s right hand. Jesus said to His nervous disciples, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”7 What magnificent assurance! He speaks that to you in your time of need, your time of darkness, your time of doubt. You will not be orphaned. Tuck that away in your heart. Etch it on your mind. The problem with getting too comfortable with only our favourite verses of Scripture is that we can become complacent. But, you will inevitably find more fabulous expressions of God’s promises. Don’t jettison the old ones, just add more.
Take God at His word. He is trustworthy. Jesus is “the founder and perfecter of our faith.”8 Faith is not an inanimate object. Faith cannot exist without the operative power of the Holy Spirit. The believing person is the person within whom the Spirit is living. Christ lived among sinners and the Holy Spirit lives within them. He lives within believers as the bearer of truth. Christians do not have the Spirit as some generic "lifeforce". He makes known the Son so that we might know the Father as well. These are mind-blowing facts. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at the first creation and gave you new life in the waters of baptism dwells in you now. The same Jesus who received Stephen at his stoning and the thief on the cross in his dying hour receives you. He will welcome you when mortality has run its course because He has already received you. He will raise you bodily from the grave, not as a new miracle, but as a continuation of His victory over death. The apostle’s good news for the people of Athens is good news for us too. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday of Easter
21 May 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Acts 17:22-23
2 1 Timothy 6:10
3 Luke 12:15
4 Acts 17:30-31
5 Matthew 10:29-31
6 Romans 8:38-39
7 John 14:18
8 Hebrews 12:2
Text: Acts 17:22-33
Theme: Mute Idols And the Speaking God
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
During his missionary ventures, St Paul visited Athens, Greece. It was still one of the world's intellectual centres at the time. Not coincidentally, he secured an audience with those who gathered at the Areopagus. It was the venue for philosophical discussion. The city, like most of the world in that era, was not short on religious devotees. Paul likely visited the Parthenon where the goddess Athena was worshipped, in addition to the temple of Rome and Augustus. Many at the time believed their fate was in the hands of the pagan gods, whom they needed to appease to gain their favour. The gods were perceived to be short-tempered, unpredictable, and often contradictory in their demands.
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.”1 Paul's reference to the altar dedicated to an unknown god was his opening to introduce the identity of the true God: The Christ who came in flesh and blood. Paul was preaching to them about Jesus and the resurrection. To the Athenians, these were strange new teachings. It was certainly an affront to their idols.
Every age has its idols. Ours is no exception. Some idols are perennial favourites. Money is always near the top of the list. Greed is still a common vice. The Scripture says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”2 Jesus Himself said, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."3
Devotion to sports often gets top billing today. Good competition is healthy, and athletic pursuits of achievement are honourable. But think of the hope invested in victory and the anguish of defeat experienced by so many! Some struggle to find meaning and purpose in life if sporting heroes or dreams fail them. Responsibilities to family and society are pushed aside and God certainly doesn’t get a look in. Many other examples such as work, pleasure, or reputation, could be added to the list.
We won’t find public altars built to unknown idols among us today. But the idolatry enthroned within the heart is no different. The word of God speaks to us with the same message. Paul continued saying, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.”4 There is a reason the First Commandment has primacy. When it’s disregarded both the internal and external ordering of life breaks down. Civility can still hold sway, but only while people still find meaning in life. Otherwise, restraint is necessary. It’s little wonder so many in our society are caught in cycles of addiction, depression, and despair? It’s not just a matter of lack of self-control. A deeper crisis is evident. Missing hope for the future, needing inspiration for the present, lacking meaning for daily living, people turn to destructive behaviors that get them through the moment. The cost is high.
One of the great challenges of pagan idolatry was that you could seldom be certain where you stood with the gods. There was always a price to secure their favour. But the true God is not a selfish and heartless idol. We know where we stand with Him. God's grace in Christ comes with no strings attached. There are no prerequisites to qualify us for His mercy. The Father finds nothing desirable in us, but He finds His Son faithful. He is not drawn to our goodness, but He is accepting of Christ's righteousness. He's not impressed with our obedience, but He's glorified in Christ's sacrifice. He supplies all that we lack.
The love of God does not fade, it does not tire, it does not get bored. God's passion for us never loses its vibrancy. When we go astray He searches for us with the diligence of a shepherd looking for lost sheep. When spiritual sickness attacks our souls, He tends to us like a physician treating a dying patient. When we are under duress from Satan's temptations, He protects us like a soldier defending a helpless child. The pagan idols were believed to have done none of these things. Christ says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”5
Dear friends, the precious blood of Christ was spilled for you. The crown was fitted. The nails were driven. The cross was lifted…for YOU! He stayed only a Sabbath’s rest in the grave that you might have life in heaven for eternity. You don’t need to rely on any of your own holiness because His is more than enough. We are saved by grace, through faith. You are His baptized and you are fed with His heavenly mana. The apostle says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”6
Thursday marks the day of Christ’s bodily ascension to the Father’s right hand. Jesus said to His nervous disciples, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”7 What magnificent assurance! He speaks that to you in your time of need, your time of darkness, your time of doubt. You will not be orphaned. Tuck that away in your heart. Etch it on your mind. The problem with getting too comfortable with only our favourite verses of Scripture is that we can become complacent. But, you will inevitably find more fabulous expressions of God’s promises. Don’t jettison the old ones, just add more.
Take God at His word. He is trustworthy. Jesus is “the founder and perfecter of our faith.”8 Faith is not an inanimate object. Faith cannot exist without the operative power of the Holy Spirit. The believing person is the person within whom the Spirit is living. Christ lived among sinners and the Holy Spirit lives within them. He lives within believers as the bearer of truth. Christians do not have the Spirit as some generic "lifeforce". He makes known the Son so that we might know the Father as well. These are mind-blowing facts. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at the first creation and gave you new life in the waters of baptism dwells in you now. The same Jesus who received Stephen at his stoning and the thief on the cross in his dying hour receives you. He will welcome you when mortality has run its course because He has already received you. He will raise you bodily from the grave, not as a new miracle, but as a continuation of His victory over death. The apostle’s good news for the people of Athens is good news for us too. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday of Easter
21 May 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Acts 17:22-23
2 1 Timothy 6:10
3 Luke 12:15
4 Acts 17:30-31
5 Matthew 10:29-31
6 Romans 8:38-39
7 John 14:18
8 Hebrews 12:2
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