Roger's Postings

Saturday, December 27, 2014


Galatians 4:4-7                                  Now, sons of God!!                                                        28/12/14

 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, {5} to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. {6} Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." {7} So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

 Christmas is over once again for another year, along with it almost another year, and now it is back to getting on with the grind of living. For most people the ‘Joy to the world’ is gone. Now it is once again coping with a thick head; the paying off of the credit card; and getting on with the realities of life. This brief interlude of Christmas into life is now once again all but gone: the excitement of new gifts is over; and again we are fast becoming bored and hassled with life.

 For many, sadly this Christmas has been no different than any other – here today and gone tomorrow. Like the square of chocolate that soon melts and is gone along with the pleasure that it gave. There is nothing left of Christmas but a few left-overs and gifts that are no longer new.  It seemed to promise so much; but the promise that was given was hollow: it fell way short of what was hoped for.

 But the problem was that many people again this year, forgot to open that one last gift. They had forgotten to take seriously that one present that truly does change life completely. They left it unwrapped: they did not listen to what the real message and promise of Christmas was all about. They thought that they could pick and choose what suited their own fancy. So that got excited about the peace, joy and goodwill, but forgot the giver of those things. In a sense they got excited about the wrapping paper, but forgot about the present.

 How often though isn’t this the case for each and every one of us? We think we know what it is all about: we look at those things which look good and which appeal to our senses; but we fail to consider deeply what it is that lies behind it all, and what the true value of it is. I am sure that we all heard and enjoyed the carols relating to Jesus and his birth, but often failed to consider what they had to say about this Jesus and why he came. We loved receiving our gifts, but showed little excitement when it comes to the Gift of Jesus Christ and the greatness of what he has done for us.

 As a result it is now back to the stress of trying to make a success of one’s life: trying hard to be acceptable to the world around us; and even to God. We continue to be frustrated by the let-downs and failures of our world. Wondering why God and everything is giving us a hard time. We try harder and harder to impress those around us; and in the process let go of more and more of those things that are of real value and help. And so we become lonelier and more alienated from others and from God.

 But that is not the way it is intended to be for us. Nor is it the way it has to be. Christmas really does mean that now things can and are so much different: so much better. This reading here this morning brings out for us just one big change that arises out of Christmas: A change that surely affects us way beyond Christmas. Here now we have been given a whole new and grand status in our relationship to God and each other.  Here we are given that which frees us from many of the stresses and hassles that affect so many around us.

 Hear again what God himself tells us through Paul: God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Did you hear that: as a result of Christ coming to be with us and dying on the cross for us we are children of God: sons and daughters, with Jesus as our brother. We are children of God, with all the good and the rights that that entails. That is what Christmas ushers in for each one of us. There is no need for anyone to miss out. The only ones that it does not apply to are those who turn their backs on Jesus and continue to want to live their own lives.

 Now to get the picture of being a son and heir is all about, let us put our minds to work for a few minutes. Imagine that you are a street kid living in the slums of Adelaide with no family and very little to eat. Then a very rich, powerful and loving family came along and chose to adopt you into their family. They are the ideal family in every way. I want you think what that would be like.

 From that families perspective your past has been completely erased. You no longer have to ‘sell yourself’ just to get something to eat. You no longer have to put up with people looking sideways at you and not wanting to have anything to do with you. You don’t have to worry that you might die of neglect and insecurity: All those bad and terrible things of the past, are now gone. At last there is a sure hope that the future will all work out well.

 Now you have a Father who is a real and caring dad in every way: Loving, kind, gentle, considerate, knowledge, powerful, yet willing to listen to your every concern and to help in every way. This Father has adopted you and made you an heir to everything he has and everything he stands for. Here remember that this great inheritance is guaranteed so that no one and nothing can take it away from you. It is all there for you in every way.

 Now that surely would be great, wouldn’t it?? No longer having to do this that and the other in order to just survive and exist, far less be acceptable. Now free to do many things because we have that assurance that we are loved and accepted. Wanting to do what is good and right so that this good relationship may be ongoing and helpful to others as well: Having the full rights, privileges and blessings that come from being a part of such a wonderful and powerful family.

 Now that picture we can grasp and understand. But really this picture is a reality for each one of us. As a result of Jesus’ coming into our world this is more than imaginations for us here. Because of Christmas: Christ’s coming into our world and his life, death and resurrection; we have been adopted into God’s family. We are sons and daughters of God Almighty himself. Jesus is now our brother. And as such, we have the full rights, privileges and responsibilities of being a part of God’s family. Because Jesus came into our world in love to satisfy God’s holiness and justice; we were redeemed: bought back, into sonship together with Christ.

 That is now what makes Christmas so special: God in Jesus came to us so that we might be sons of God. As children and heirs we can now be a part of and enjoy this family that it is the very best. We are guaranteed an inheritance into that which is truly great in every way.

 Sure, while we still live here on this earth, we will not be free from all suffering and pain. God does not promise us that: in fact the opposite. In many ways our illustration earlier also bears that out. Think of the hassles and troubles the rebellious young street kid will have when he has to find his feet in the new family. He will bring a lot of pain and suffering on himself and others as he continues to try and do things that are not right and good, but is a part of his street kid nature. There will be many time he will fail to see that the way of family is what is best. He will many times try to live by his own rules and do his own thing, only to suffer and cause suffering.

 Likewise that same thing is there for each of us in God’s family. We too will try to live by our own misguided rules and our own selfish interests and so place ourselves and others in difficulty and hardship. But remember the Lord is still there reminding us that he has died for us and has made us a part of his family. He will seek to use that suffering and pain to draw us closer to himself and what it means to live as a part of his family. He will continue to show his love and care toward us despite ourselves.

 Weekly as we gather together in his house he will remind us that we were adopted into his family through baptism into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He will tell what he has in mind for us and has done for us, through his Word. Also in the Lord’s Supper he reminds us again that through his body and blood, that he died for us so that we can be members of his family. So regularly he is reminding us that he has made us members of his family; having all the rights and privileges of sons and heirs.

 Therefore we can now live with hope and purpose as we go forward into another year as God’s people. Now, we are sons of God, heirs of eternal life. So we can have peace and joy each day as we live as his people. Christmas now goes on for us each day. For the gift of Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us, is still with us and for us, and goes with us now and always. So as son and daughters of God, let us give him all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

Wednesday, December 24, 2014


Luke 2:8-14.                                        A Saviour has been born to you!               25/12/14

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”


 Here we are again at this most wonderful time of the year: a time that promises us so much: a time that most people look forward to, to give their lives a lift. But sadly for so many, Christmas ‘comes up short’ again and again. Despite all the promises Christmas for many does not deliver what they hope for: Instead of, peace, joy and happiness they find less than that, and sometimes the very opposite.

 So often we see and experience that which makes us fearful and even terrifies us. Here it not just those who have experienced in a personal way the siege in Sydney last week, but those who have their own personal losses and hardships; their difficulties or personal hang-ups and ‘demons’; strained and broken relationships. Peace, joy and happiness are the last thing on many people’s minds. And our thoughts and prayers go out for them.

 At the same time there are many who are let down by Christmas because the peace, joy and happiness is all too often associated with the wrong things: The presents that we receive from under the Christmas tree; the family get togethers; the Christmas cheer; the break from work, can often fail to be there or be what we want it to be, or it certainly does not last. When we look for the good end results of Christmas without taking into account the real message of Christmas we shouldn’t be surprised when it fails to deliver.

 After all we are living in a sinful, selfish world where things will fail and go wrong; where others and we ourselves don’t do the right thing. So when we look to the things of this world to give us peace and happiness we shouldn’t be surprised when it doesn’t work out as we would like.

However tonight/this morning we again have the angels from God give us the real message and promise of Christmas. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

  In this message our focus of Christmas is shifted from the things around us to something else. Instead of finding and trying to create our little bit of peace, joy and happiness, it comes to us. Instead of looking to presents, family and the things of this world that are tainted by sin and weakness, we are directed to something far greater.

 The angel’s presence at Christmas reminds us that God has come with a special message for the shepherds and for us. Christmas is about God coming into our messed up, sinful, dying world. In the midst of our desire and longing for peace, joy and happiness, but not being able to find it or have it, God send his messengers with earth shattering news.

 So we are reminded just as the shepherds were that we do not need to be afraid. The shepherds were afraid because God’s angels had broken into their lives. For them this was not good: it was scary; but also they were people living with the consequences of sin and selfishness all around them and so they thought God’s coming into their lives would mean big trouble.

 So also today, people don’t want God too close to their lives for that is a reminder of their many short-comings and the judgement that they deserve. They are fearful at the thought of God coming near to them; both in terms of judgement, but also the loss of freedom to do as they please. So we are happy to have Christmas as long as you don’t bring God in to the picture. We look for peace, joy and happiness in everything else but God’s presence in our lives. Never-the-less the end result is of course the opposite.

 Here though, of course, we need to remember that God did, and had to come, and punish our sin. Being a holy God he cannot overlook our sin or fail to carry out what his justice requires. This is an absolutely scary and fearful thing. However this is what makes this Christmas message so amazing. The angels said “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

 How can there be joy – great joy - when a holy God comes to confront and deal with our sin. Yet, this is what the angels said; so we need to be all ears about what comes next. There has to be something in this that is absolutely incredible.

 And the next verse gives us this most wondrous Good News: Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. There is born one who is going to save us from this mess and disaster that we have brought on ourselves. And this one is that which was promised over and over again throughout much of the history of Israel. Here was the Messiah - the one who was going to be ‘the Lamb of God who take away the sin of the world.’

 And even more incredibly, this one is The Lord himself. The Almighty God himself is come, but, he comes in an amazing way.  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. God comes as a human being – born in a stable and laid in a manger as a little babe. The Almighty himself is come into our world in this way and will be the one who takes our sin on himself and allows himself to be punished so that we wouldn’t be.

 God’s justice determined that a sinless human being must alone be the sacrifice that can redeem the world. A perfect human being must be punished if there was to be any salvation for us. So the Lord himself comes as one of us to be this sacrifice.

And of course we know that this Jesus went on to grow up and prove through his teaching, preaching and miracles that he was God almighty himself.  Then he takes our sin on himself and goes to the cross and is punished in our place. Absolutely incredible! Absolutely amazing! Then so that we can be sure, he rises from the dead three days later. This is God at work and he has done this for the salvation of us all.

Surely now we can join with the angels and sing: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” Now we can have peace, hope and joy in the midst of whatever we are facing. And this peace, hope and joy will last all year through.

 Now we know that we are loved and forgiven, even though we are sinful and unclean. Now we know that he doesn’t just overlook our sin, but through Jesus death he forgives us and gives us his own righteousness.

What a Christmas present that is for us today! What a gift God himself has extended to us. No wonder the world has continually celebrated this wonderful event year after year. Christ – mas  - Christ with us is the greatest thing that has ever and could ever happen to our world. Since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden there has never been anything that has or could happen for the good of our world.

 Now we have something positive and lasting to focus on in the midst of the difficulties, tragedies and death that we face in this world. Now there is peace between God and us, no matter who we are. Now there is a sure hope for us, that this world’s troubles are not the end of the story. Now we have the sure hope of eternal life in heaven which will go on for all eternity with the very best of everything. Now there is also a deep joy within us, even in the midst of our earthly sadness’s: The joy of knowing that everything will work out for good in the end.

 So now we have every reason to celebrate: every reason to look to God and take on board all that he has said and done for us. Now this Christmas can be truly one of peace, hope and joy; and this can go on through all the rest of our days. Now we can sing; “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

 A blessed Christmas to each and every one of you. Amen.

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

Friday, December 19, 2014


Psalm 89:1-4; 19-26.                        Sing of the Lord’s great love!      18/12/05

  I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. {2} I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. {3} You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, {4} 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'"
 {19} Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: "I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people. {20} I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. {21} My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. {22} No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him. {23} I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries. {24} My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted. {25} I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers. {26} He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Saviour.'

 How truly great and magnificent is our God. He is the Almighty God who is over all and in all that is good. So surely we will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with our mouth we will make his faithfulness known through all generations. We will declare that his love stands firm forever, that he has established his faithfulness in heaven itself. He is God Almighty himself who deserves nothing but the greatest of praise.

 But why? Why should we sing his praises? What makes him so great? Is it because we can see, quite clearly, that he is a God who has everything under control and evil is defeated? Is he a God who has made everything good and wonderful for us as we live out our lives every day? Is it because he gives us what we want? Is it because he is a God who suits our way of thinking and our imaginations?

 Well, no! In fact this psalm was most likely written in the midst of the Babylonian exile. In this psalm, the psalmist sings about a problem. God had promised that there would always be a king in David’s family. But now there was no Jewish king! The army from Babylon had beaten the Jewish army. They took the Jewish king to Babylon, and the King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) became king of the Jews. How could anyone explain this? For the Israelites, everything was going wrong; and most importantly of all, there was no longer a king on the throne: no longer one of David’s line, ruling over Israel. Their world was in a mess; and yet they sing this song of praise to God for his love and faithfulness. Now there is a challenge to our modern thinking.

 In verse 3 the covenant that is mentioned is what God and the Jews had agreed on. If the Jews would love and obey God, then he would keep them safe. He would be their God and they would be his people. The Jews had a special covenant name for God: Yahweh. We translate it, LORD. In this part of the psalm, the psalmist says that he still believes that the Lord will do what he had promised. And he was right! Even though it may not have seemed so at the time.

 We also need to remember that Christians have sung this psalm at Christmas time for many centuries. This is because Jesus is a king from David’s family, he will always be king and he was born at Christmas. That is how we explain the problem ... even if the psalmist did not know this! Yet, maybe, he had a far better understanding that God was always living and ruling over his people, than we do today. Maybe he knew that there was always that connection between the Messiah and his ongoing rule over all, past, present and future.

 But having said that, we can see the faith and complete confidence that the psalmist has even in the midst of his adversity. Despite the fact that everything looked to the contrary, he knows that God is true to his word. He knows the Lord is the Almighty God who does hold all things in his hands. The covenant he made with Israel stands: he will be their God, and he will be faithful to the promise he made to David. Even though Israel had turned their back on the Lord, he would not turn his back on them. He would be true to his word.

 Yes, God was true to his word and still is today. He did say that he would punish the sin of those who betray him and his faithfulness and who reject his decrees and commands. His holiness and justice will be maintained: The Israelites were sent into exile for their failure to keep their side of the covenant.

 But at the same time he was true to his word; in that he would not take his love away from his people and away from David’s line. Even though the people violated the covenant, the Lord would not: he would not betray his faithfulness. He would continue to love his people even though they did not deserve it.

 But hang on, some people would say; there in Babylon we can see that God is not true to his word. There was no king in the line of David anymore. In fact they were not even a nation anymore; far less a people who could know that they were loved. Is it really so loving to destroy a people and send them into exile? What about the terrible tragedies that many people, even today, this last week, have had to endure? How could a loving God do this?

 But again despite this, the psalmist knows that the Lord is true to his word, even though it goes against all the senses. He knows that the Lord is still loving and faithful; true to his covenant. Even in his words and promises with regards to the king, he knows that it is true despite the evidence. So he sings the praises of his God because he knows that he will fulfil his promises in this regard; somehow. He looks forward eagerly to see once more the revelation of all that he has said and promised.

 That is now where we today look also. In the midst of Advent; in the face of that terrible siege; in the face of many other troubles and hardships; our focus is turned toward Christmas: the coming of our Lord as Saviour and King. Just as the psalmist looked forward in hope to see this fulfilment, so we look back to this great event and see the true fulfilment of all that is said and promised.

 Now we can see and know for sure that, in Jesus, a descendant of David’s line, we have a king who rules eternally; past, present and future. He is the anointed Saviour of mankind. He is the one who would and did crush our greatest foe, Satan. His death on the cross, nailed the defeat of Satan once and for all. He was raised from the dead so that we can know for sure that he is our living and ruling Lord.

 The covenant that he established, through our baptism, which joins us to his death and resurrection, now stands secure for us. We know that we are loved, forgiven and made members of his family. He is our God and we are his forgiven people. He is now our glorious and everlasting King, to him be glory and honour now and always.

 Through this covenant he also promises us an agreement that is sure and lasting. Even though we may waver and fall along the way; we know that he is true to his word; he is still our Lord and his love and faithfulness is sure. So nothing now can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

 Sure if we turn our backs on him and fail to seek to live according to his will we may well have to suffer for it. Sure we still have to live in a sinful world, and ourselves still sin much, and so will face all kinds of terrible things in this life.

However as we look to him and trust in him and what he has done for us through his death and resurrection; and as we seek to live according to his commands we have the assurance that his love is always there for us: that he has good in mind for us.

 So as we approach Christmas, in the midst of our hassles, distraction and uncertainties: not perhaps even sure what going on because of all that is wrong and bad in our world; we too can sing of the Lord's great love forever. Even though our society has lost its way and doing its best to discredit Christianity: even though it might seem that the Church is dying and that God no longer cares about what is happening; we too can have the same confidence as that of the psalmist, to know that God is true to his word.

 Yes, maybe he is reminding us of what life is like if we choose to ignore God and his word and not seek to live in this covenant relationship that he has made with us. But as we again look back to him and trust that he is true to his promises, we can look up and be positive despite what we see. We can be assured that Jesus is still king over all, and all things will work out as he has said. Jesus’ coming two thousand years ago and his death and resurrection are his guarantee that this is so.

 Therefore we can sing of the Lord's great love forever; with our mouth we will make his faithfulness known through all generations. We will declare that his love stands firm forever, that he has established his faithfulness in heaven itself.   

 Now we can celebrate Christmas with confidence and joy. Now we can again see and know what makes for true Christmas celebrations, in the face of all the distractions that are about. Once again we are assured that God almighty himself is where real life is at. So Praise be to the Lord forever and ever! Amen and Amen.

Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

 

 

 
 

Friday, December 12, 2014


1 Thessalonians 5:16-24.               You can’t do it by yourself.          14/12/14

 {16)  Be joyful always; {17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. {19} Do not put out the Spirit's fire; {20} do not treat prophecies with contempt. {21} Test everything. Hold on to the good. {22} Avoid every kind of evil. {23} May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

 This reading here this morning speaks of being joyful always, praying continually; giving thanks in all circumstances. Now without going any further we can already see that what is being asked of us is a pretty tall order. In fact of those of us who live in the real world with all of its pain and suffering we know that this is impossible for us to achieve from within ourselves. But then to add even more to the situation, it goes on and talks about being holy, through and through; of our whole person being completely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is talking about perfection.

 It is making the point that this is what is needed for us to face that final day and be able to enter eternity with our God. Here we need to recognise that this is an integral part of the Christian message. This is what God says that he expects of us. This is not just something that we humans made up in order to control the masses or some such thing. This is God's expectation - perfection - from you and me.

 Now this message then challenges much of the thinking that is about today: It is a far cry from what we hear so often; and which is a common thought in our present society. ‘Near enough is good enough’. ‘As long as we are a reasonably good person; and I belong to a church; and have a basic understanding and philosophy of life, then she's right. – It will all work out in the end. After all God loves and accepts us as we are. We just need to do the best we can and we’ll be O.K.’

 But will we? Is that what God says is the situation? Or are we just trying to kid ourselves: hoping that this is the way it will be? I expect that most people are prepared to take their chances; hoping that what everyone else is saying and doing will be right. But God however, says otherwise. As mentioned before, God's expectation is perfection from you and me. Fail that and there is no go - no eternal life in heaven – there is no peace with God - no joy – no sure hope.

 Now there is no way around that: no near enough is good enough: no as long as we try to do the best we can to be a reasonably good person. Perfection in every way is the requirement. Joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; Be blameless and holy in every way - in every aspect of our lives. This is God’s call for each of us.

 Now if that is what Gad expects; and knowing that we do not measure up, what do we do about it? Ignore it all? Walk away from God and the church? Just do what we think might be right? Don’t bother to even think about it? Go and find a church that makes me feel good?

 No; surely not? We will want to seek to live and be the kind of people he wants us to be. We will want this perfection in our lives so that we can face that day and know for sure that God will accept us. We will want to have this joy that Paul talks about. Throughout our lives we will aim to have this life of prayer that is here spoken of; we will want to be thankful in everything; as well as to be blameless and holy in every way.

 But we try and it doesn't work out? We so often want this kind of life – we strive for it and have it as base philosophy for our life, but it is so illusive. We work at it and it goes alright for while, but then we crash. We try, but everything goes wrong; it gets all mucked up again and again. We can't even begin to measure up. There seems to just be no way that we can live up that standard, even in a small way.

 I believe that is why so many try to adjust what God has to say here and elsewhere in Scripture. If none of us measure up, then surely it can't be meant in quite that way; so we change it to something like: as long as we try to do the best we can; or, as long as we make a reasonable effort; or, as long as we have some concept of God and Jesus, then we are Ok.

 Or if we are a little more religious, we might say: As long as we believe; or we are forgiven anyway so it doesn't matter much how I live my life; or, God loves us and accepts us despite what are and do, and so we have the freedom to do as we please. So we alter what God has to say in order to lessen the impact of what is expected of us.

 However, again let us be quite sure that not one of us is going be allowed into heaven unless we are perfect. Anyone who is even in the slightest way less than that, will be cast into Hell. Unless we are blameless and whole in every way, that is a certainty. That is the harsh reality of what God has said and expects.

 Now if that is the case then, I hear you say, none of us can get there:
None of us measure up to that standard. And your right; by ourselves we cannot achieve what is expected. We have failed and deserve nothing but Hell. As we look to our lives we don't come anywhere near to what is required; and so we are in deep trouble – we just can't make it.

 But: But now that is just why celebrate Christmas. That is what makes this time of the year absolutely essential for us. It is the very reason why we continually remember that Jesus came into our world as a little babe.  What we are unable to do for ourselves, God himself came and made possible for us to be perfect. Here again we are reminded of the one and only hope that we have in life. The only hope of attaining that state of being that is required for us to stand on that last day is associated with Christmas, and that is why we have those calls in recent weeks to prepare ourselves: to get ready for the celebration of the events that give us this only hope that we have.

 In little over a week’s time we will joyfully and thankfully celebrate the fact that God has come to help us in our need. We will again be overwhelmed by the fact that God chose to come as one of us so that we might have real hope in a hopeless world. His love for us, was such that he did not want to send us to Hell, yet his holiness has to be taken care of.

 So Jesus comes to lives as one of us and then takes our punishment on himself. He took our sin – our failures to be holy and perfect - on himself to the cross; and in their place he gives us his perfection. So we are forgiven - we are holy and blameless once again. When God looks on those who believe this, he now sees the holiness of his Son Jesus. He accepts them as his own sons and daughters; as his own dear and perfect children.

 That is the great Good News that we prepare for and celebrate every year at this time: God has come to help us in our dire need: he has saved us from an eternity in Hell. Jesus has made it possible for us to face God at the end of time. So it is with this sure and certain hope that he will accept us into his presence because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that we now know that we can stand on that last day holy and blameless in every way; without any spot or blemish.

 This is why Jesus Christ is now the most important thing in life for us. This is why we now make every effort to keep close to him and make him the centre of all that we think, say and do. That is why we hold Jesus and his death on the cross as absolutely vital in our lives. That is why we gather week by week in his presence so that we can be constantly reminded through Word and sacrament all that he is and has done for us. That is why we worship him as Lord above all.

 At the same time we now already in light of all the Jesus Christ is and has done for us, we daily go forward to live that which we have already been made. Now we make no excuses for our failures; we readily admit our sin, assured of the forgiveness that is there for us; but at the same time willing and earnestly desiring that God would help us to live according to his word. Now wanting to eagerly do what he wants because of what he has done for us.  So we will seek to:

 {16)  Be joyful always; {17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. {19} Do not put out the Spirit's fire; {20} do not treat prophecies with contempt. {21} Test everything. Hold on to the good. {22} Avoid every kind of evil. {23} May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

 Christmas is coming; we have much to celebrate.
To him be all glory and honour, now and always.               AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish