During Advent we hear the preaching of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” In repentance, we prepare to meet our Savior — both to celebrate his birth and also on the Last Day. So what is repentance? Martin Luther writes this about repentance: "Beware of placing confidence in your contrition or of ascribing the forgiveness of sins to your own sorrow. For God does not favorably regard you because of contrition or sorrow, but because of faith with which you have believed his threats and promises and which worked sorrow in you. Therefore, we owe whatever good there may be in our penitence not to the conscientious enumeration of sins but to the truth of God and to our faith." (What Luther Says, p. 1213)

True repentance is more than just being sorry for sins. Even unbelievers are often sorry for what they have done. Believers add to their sorrow faith in Jesus as the one who takes away all sins.

John the Baptist tells us the action that will result in the lives of those who repent, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Repentance is a change of heart as we believe in God and respond with a change of actions as a fruit of faith. Martin Luther writes this about the changed heart of the repentant: "To probe and ponder how bad you have been is not enough if you do not ponder and probe much more how good you desire to become." (What Luther Says, p. 1214)

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To the secular world, December is all about Christmas. In the Church, we have a season called Advent. Advent isn’t Christmas. Advent is a time to think about Jesus’ coming (Advent means coming) to us. Of course, part of Advent is about Jesus’ coming at Christmas. But during Advent we also recall that Jesus will come again on the Last Day in glory and power to raise the dead and take believers to heaven. During Advent we also are reminded that Jesus comes to us in the present through Word and Sacrament to touch our hearts with a message of eternal love.

Christmas is on our minds, so we sing some Christmas songs in our worship services and put up Christmas decorations. But the themes of Advent are different than Christmas. The significance of Advent is more than just a warmup for Christmas. In Advent we celebrate that Jesus has come, will come, and is coming. That certainly makes this a joyous season!

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

John 6:63 (NIV)
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV)
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God."

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As we prepare to pause for a national day of Thanksgiving, let these words of Psalm 138 remind us of our greatest reason to be thankful. The Lord, the great and glorious God of all things, has worked for our salvation and continues to bless us, even in the midst of troubles. He will not leave us! He will save us!

We have countless reasons to be thankful – big and small reasons. God’s grace is our greatest reason to be thankful! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

"I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
When I called, you answered me;
you made me bold and stouthearted.
May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth.
May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.
Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands." (Psalm 138 NIV)

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What are you looking for in life? There are times when we are actively looking for something. Maybe you have hunted for a new job. When looking for a car, you shop and compare. Even when doing something as simple as buying an apple, you look carefully; you don’t take the top one but want one that looks ripe and is not bruised.

Believers are told to “pursue” the traits in the verse below. We are to actively chase after and find these.

Make time for God’s Word in your life. There you will find “righteousness, faith, love and peace.” In the Scriptures you hear the reality of who you are. You are a forgiven and dearly loved child of God. You are the object of his attention and work.

Life doesn’t tell you that. Hardships, failures, sins, and death would suggest we are on the outside. But that is not true! Because Jesus is your Savior, you are one of God’s people. His death and resurrection proclaim that you are alive and will be live for eternity. You know the peace of his love and forgiveness. Your gifts, abilities, and talents are the ways that you can serve him now.

Look for righteousness, faith, love and peace as you hear and believe God’s Word. Look for them in how you think and speak and act as God’s child. Pursue God’s grace and his ways. The effort is always worth it!

"Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace." (2 Timothy 2:22)

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It is not easy to be a Christian. God calls us to believe things we have never seen. We believe our sins are forgiven – not because of anything we have done to erase them, but because he is gracious. We believe in a God we cannot explain – he is one God who is three separate persons. We believe that in the water of baptism God washes away sins and creates faith and that in the bread and wine of communion we receive Jesus’ body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.

God also calls us to live in a way that is not easy. We struggle against the sinful urges that come from within us. We do not follow the ways and philosophies of the world. We recognize and identify evil in the world – even when others try to rationalize, excuse, or accept evil. We want to live godly, loving lives of service to others is a way that reflects God’s will and the grace he has showered into our lives.

What hope do we have to believe the impossible and live as God’s people in a sinful world? In his letter to the Colossians Paul wrote this:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:9–12 NIV)

Through Jesus, the Father “has qualified” you for life in his kingdom! He has worked faith in your heart through the Holy Spirit. He continues to strengthen and guide you with his Word. He has washed away your imperfections in the blood of Jesus and now views you as qualified to be in heaven!

It is not easy, but by God’s grace, you are a member of God’s kingdom for all eternity. Be strong and take comfort in his grace! Crush your doubts with the promises of God’s Word. Renew your strength as you hear and believe the good news of what Jesus has done for you. You are perfectly qualified to be God’s child because Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

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You cannot help but think about our government as our nation has had another election. Regardless of the outcomes of any of the elections, God’s Word has instruction and encouragement for God’s people. In Romans 13:1 (NIV) we read, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Christians, more than all others, recognize that God has established government and will use it according to his will. As such, we are called on to respect our leaders.

Martin Luther wrote a great deal about the government. Among his many comments, he reminds us to be respectful. He wrote, “Respect for a governmental official is a very necessary requirement in a state. Therefore, we should pray to God for the officers of the state, for they can easily become corrupt, since 'honores mutant mores, numquam in meliores' (honors changes morals, never for the better), and they are easily turned into tyrants.”

Yesterday was a day to vote. Today is a day to pray for our leaders and nation. Today is also a day for us to show respect for our leaders in the way we talk about whoever wins the elections.

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...What was Martin Luther’s evaluation of the Reformation that he started?

If you consider appearances, what do you see here in Wittenberg that is precious? You see nothing magnificent about the church. Truly, the town is built of clay. Yet it is an “ivory palace” of Christ. Likewise, the most insignificant village in which a pastor and some believers dwell is also a palace of ivory. But to see this you need others eyes than the eyes of the flesh; for this preciousness is estimated, not by appearances or by the verdict of the five senses and of reason or by laws or the arts or philosophy, but by the Word of God. (What Luther Says, p. 1188)

I look forward to seeing you in the “ivory palace” in West Allis this weekend. It reminds me of a school gym. And yet, there Christ will be worshiped and proclaimed, and the glory and beauty of the gospel will be on full display for God’s people! Lord willing, we will renovate that space in the near future. But even now, we see the beauty of God’s love when we gather together for worship. There is nothing more glorious than that!

Psalm 27:4 (NIV) "One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple."

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The treasure of Christ is found in us! That is amazing, since we are “jars of clay” – that is, not worthy to hold such riches.

This is true for each individual Christian and for us as a congregation. It is the grace of God that makes us what we are. God has purified us by the sacrifice of Jesus and made us to be holy and worthy vessels of Christ.

We have a huge task before us. The renovation project is no easy thing. The resources of time and money that are needed are immense. The logical reasons to quit or reasons why we will fail are easy to see – after all, we are a group of clay jars.

And yet, we are boldly striving to do something for the glory of the Savior. We want to establish a place where Jesus will be worshiped for generations to come. We know the power of the gospel as it is proclaimed and so we trust God to bless our efforts.

It is the power of God that allows us to accomplish anything for his kingdom. Pray that he blesses our efforts so that Living Hope would be and remain a place where jars of clay find the lasting strength that comes through faith in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV) "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

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Martin Luther’s reminder in the Small Catechism is important: “We should fear and love God that we do not despise preaching and his Word, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.” God’s Word gives true life by connecting us to our Savior. God’s Word shines truth in our sinful world of lies and deception. Make hearing God’s Word an important part of your life. Listen to God’s Word in worship and you will find continual reasons to make/keep weekly worship a highlight of your routine.

In Psalm 19:7–11 (NIV) we read:
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."

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“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” John 5:39 (NIV)

Jesus’ words in this verse were directed at unbelieving people who were persecuting him for healing a man on the Sabbath Day. This people knew the Bible – “you diligently study the Scriptures” – but they completely missed the point! They thought the Bible was about what they would do to receive eternal life.

No! “These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” The foundation of the Bible is that God has saved us. The Word of God first and foremost directs us to see that Jesus took away our sins and the destroyed death by his own death and resurrection. When Jesus’ work was complete, our salvation was complete; our sins are removed!

While we rightly use the Bible to hear God’s will and to learn to do what pleases him, that is not possible until we are focused on Jesus. We constantly need the renewal of his forgiveness so that we have a proper view of ourselves and the proper motive for doing God’s will.

Read your Bible and look for Jesus! Listen to the promises of God’s love for you and the assurance of your salvation through Christ.

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