Grace Lutheran Church

Grace Lutheran Church A congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

03/16/2023

This is Pastor Whybrew my phone is currently not working if you need to get in touch with me please message me through Facebook until further notice!

01/04/2023

Reminder that tomorrow evening, from 7PM-8PM, at St. Paul's, we are going to be looking at the other catechism, the Large Catechism, which is actually the first of the two catechisms that we have been blessed by the Lord to have in the Lutheran Church. Please also bring your Bible, or there will be ones available to use at the Church.

12/08/2022

December 8 2 Corinthians 13:1-14 Daily Bible Reading

This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God. “5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. 11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

As we conclude Paul’s second letter, we read that Paul is not making idol threats, but that he is calling them Pastorally to live as believers in repentance. We see this when we read, “5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” Christians are no different than anyone else, we know that we are susceptible to temptation to sin. After all this is why Jesus came in the first place because of our sin. Paul desires the Church to repent and change their ways to one another, that his visit may be a blessing to him and them rather than having to carry out what he is prepared to do, if necessary, which would be excommunication of those that refused to repent. Not that Paul wanted confrontation, we know that he did not want to have to come wielding the Law but reconciliation. Which is why even as strict and severe as he has been at times throughout this letter he closes with these words of hope and comfort to them, “11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.” This is the Church that God has called us to be, a family. Families are not perfect, but they are to be the place where growth happens, and solace can be found. A place where forgiveness is freely given as sin is repented of which is all motivated, as Paul says through “14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”

12/07/2022

December 7 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 Daily Bible Reading

11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! 14 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps? 19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

As we get closer to the conclusion of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church you can sense the emotion that Paul is writing with because of the things that he has to say to them and doesn’t want to have to say. In our reading today the pain of having to do what he is doing as their spiritual father, reminding them of who he is to them and what he has done for them and what he hasn’t done that they may have the message of Christ without being a burden to them. Has all of his and Titus’ work been for nothing? Of course, the answer is no, but yet not being right there and speaking with those that have not followed the false teachings of the “super apostles” is very difficult. Paul who wants to be able to come to them and celebrate Christ rather than have to start over at the basics of “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) That is why the Church, any church is to grow in that one faith in Jesus Christ, not chasing after doctrines just because they are new or different. There is only one Gospel, and that Gospel has not and cannot change, “3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15) This is what Paul was willing to and eventually died for, that the doctrine of the Gospel would be proclaimed and believed. That the Gospel, as I have said before does not need any help from us, or antics to be relevant in people’s lives. It either will be or not be believed but that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

12/06/2022

December 6 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Daily Bible Reading

I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Today in our reading we get to see a very unusual travel experience that has some interesting consequences along with it. As Paul continues to debate the reason that he is an Apostle and why the “super-apostles” aren’t, he writes of an event that seems so farfetched that in our day and age he would be chided and ridiculed if he spoke about it at all. Yet as he proclaims, it is “the truth.” Even though it is the truth of which he speaks we have no idea of what he saw or heard because he is not allowed to speak of it, which seems to be in stark contrast to those that claim that they have been to heaven or who make frequent trips to heaven. I’m not talking about near death experiences, but people who claim that they travel regularly, as in weekly or more often to heaven. They can’t wait to get back and tell everyone on YouTube what they saw and what it means for everyone. I admit that I am skeptical about the veracity of most of these modern heavenly tourists. Mostly because when you put them in opposition to St. Paul’s story, there are a lot more questions than answers that come to mind. As St. Paul continues to put all his cards on the table of his apostleship, he goes into an area that makes even some Christians uncomfortable, that being when he writes about his “thorn in the flesh.” The Lord keeps Paul on point in his ministry by telling him no, to taking away that thorn. The reason being that Paul is to put his faith, hope, and trust in the Lord, and not in himself. For Paul’s strength in his ministry is not the highlights of it, like being taken to heaven, but that he is forgiven of his sin, and he believes in Jesus his Savior. For he is His and our strength.

12/05/2022

December 5 2 Corinthians 11:21b-33 Daily Bible Reading

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9) These are the words of the Lord to Ananias who was sent to Paul when he was confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul did not enjoy suffering, but he did do it because he needed to. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3,” 10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” This is not some psychosis that was driving him, but the knowledge that what is the truth of God is always going to be at opposition to the way that the world thinks. Unbelievers will never understand what any of this meant to Paul or any other believer for that matter, because they don’t understand, can’t understand, those things of the Lord because they don’t know Jesus. That is why Paul was willing to suffer so much so that others would hear and believe and receive that which the Lord has promised to all whom the Father has called to Him. Peter proclaims the same mindset as Paul when he writes in 1 Peter 4, “12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

12/03/2022

December 3 2 Corinthians 11:16-21 Daily Bible Reading

16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would[a] but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

Yesterday I wrote about Biblical ignorance and the danger to the Church of this. Today we get to see a side of Paul, as well as a topic that many people are very uncomfortable with. That is the topic of sarcasm or what we might call “snark” today. Sarcasm is a fine art if it is to be used properly. In Paul’s case he has the point of his sarcasm the Corinthian church and their desire to let these false apostles, the ones Paul sarcastically calls the “super apostles.” Sarcasm makes a point when the point is being missed by the intended audience. A good example in our day of sarcasm or satire on the internet is the “Babylon Bee.” Some of their material has been so good that other online periodicals have denounced them for their “false information.” When you have to explain to the target audience that satire or sarcasm was satire or sarcasm you have already made your point. They just don’t get the ignorance of what they are believing as proclaimed by the author, such as Paul in this case of our reading. This “rant” of Paul’s is just that a God inspired wake up call to the Church for their acceptance of such spiritually harmful teachings as the false apostles are feeding them for the false apostles own financial gain. Verses 19-21 are the teaching moments for the Corinthians where when reading Paul’s letter, they should have been able to “palm slap” their foreheads and repented before the Lord for allowing such false teaching into their congregation. Paul is not using this to shame the believers, but to wake them up and bring them back to the truth that they received first from him through the Holy Spirit, as He is calling them back to the truth once again through the ministry of Paul.

12/02/2022

December 2 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 Daily Bible Reading

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

How is it possible for the Church today, as we see even here at Corinth, to be deceived by false apostles? The answer is sadly very simple, Biblical illiteracy. When the church does not teach the whole counsel of God as it is supposed to do, Acts 20:27, “27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God,” the people are not properly taught what they need to hear. For Paul this would have been the whole of the Old Testament, not just the parts he liked or made the people feel good about themselves, but the whole of the Law and the Prophets. Which is also why today the church does not just teach the Old Testament but the New as well. Again, not just the parts that people life and are comfortable with, but the Law and the Gospel was be proclaimed as the Lord has given for those that are comfortable in their sin and those that are in pain because of their sin. False apostles then, and now, have no place in the Church, for all they do are confuse the truth even more so than are sinful nature already does. The reason they have to disguise themselves is that when Christians are not properly catechized in the teachings of the Bible, they are susceptible to any old teaching that creeps its way into where they are willing to entertain any teaching at all and the foolishness that goes with it. It does not take long listening to someone even today that calls themselves an apostle to know that they are way off from true doctrine and are freewheeling into doctrines that are of man and not of God. The end for those that do not cease and repent of their sin will be separated from God for eternity, which is what Paul says.

12/01/2022

December 1 2 Corinthians 11:7-11Daily Bible Reading

7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

I’m sure everyone is familiar with the old saying, “no good deed goes unpunished.” I believe this saying works in the relationship of St. Paul and the Church in Corinth. No matter what he did, he was always being marginalized by the “super Apostles” and the people who were listening to them. Paul makes tents rather than receiving a wage from the congregation, he receives monetary help for his needs from other congregations so that he is not a burden to them. He was doing everything that he could not to lay an extra burden upon them, and what did they do, they questioned his motives, his character and anything else that the supposed “Apostles” thought they could get away with in putting Paul down and lifting up themselves. The lengths that he went to, to preach the Gospel to the Corinthian church always reminds me of something that was said about my Senior Pastor while I was an Associate in Minnesota. We had done an in-depth study of our congregation and its boards, committees, etc. In the final report given to the congregation by the company that did the study, was written, “the Senior Pastor is committed or should be.” This also is what could have been said about St. Paul and his desire to be anything and do anything that he could so that the Corinthian Church would grow in the gifts given by the Lord, and all of this was because of his love for them as he knew that the Lord loved them as well. The Church was not Paul’s, but the Lords and he knew that it was his duty to serve them the best way possible was by preaching and teaching the truth of the word, not to make them feel better about themselves, but driving them always further to live as God’s chosen people through Holy Baptism.

11/30/2022

November 30 2 Corinthians 11:1-6 Daily Bible Reading

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things

As I said yesterday and is seen even more so today, the Corinthian Church had some serious problems of accepting any old teaching that would waft its way in their direction. I don’t believe it was the whole Church, but it only takes a little heresy or false teaching to cause huge problems among the Church. Especially when that false teaching is about the Savior of the world. This other Jesus that the Church was willing to tolerate made enough of a stir that the word got to Paul. The question has to be asked though, why is it that when heresy is being taught, Jesus gets dragged into it and people try to make Jesus into something of their own creation rather than what He is in His word? The easy answer is this is what the devil wants. St. Paul though has had to deal with this subject as we see in Galatians 16-9 “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” This is nothing to be taken lightly as it leads people from the truth of the Gospel and can separate them for eternity from Jesus. Which as I said yesterday is why we in the Church must be discerning when we hear or read something that sounds almost right but just doesn’t ring true, we must go back again to the Word of God and see if the Lord said what is being said.

11/29/2022

November 29 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 Daily Bible Reading

7Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

From what we read in 2 Corinthians the church must have had some real struggles with who was speaking the truth and who was bringing them a false message. All one had to do was take a moment and discern through the Spirit about these things in the ministry of St. Paul who had never lied to them, who spoke the Law and the Gospel to them, who only boasted of them because it was true, and he never used fancy jargon or tricks to preach and teach them of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This could not be said about those that were wiggling their way into the church and were speaking against the ministry of Paul and were trying to ingratiate themselves into the Church. The interesting and sad thing about our reading today is that we know it could have been written by many faithful ministers today who have seen their ministry attacked because the Biblical message that they bring to the Church doesn’t ring with the message that is being spoken by some flashy multimillion dollar budgeted Church down the road. This is why it is vitally important for all believers to be discerning about what they are listening to and realize that not everything that calls themselves a church is bringing them the truth. This is Paul’s message about those who “commend himself,” just because they have a good public relations team does not mean they have the truth, because Paul says, “but the one whom the Lord commends.” If the Bible is being taught as the Lord has given it and the Sacraments are being used as the Lord has given them, then as the Lutheran Confessions proclaim, then there you have the true marks of the Church and a faithful Pastor. Lord, guide Your Pastors and Your people that we may all remain faithful to you and Your word, and forsaking all other noise around us. Amen!

11/28/2022

November 28 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 Daily Bible Reading

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) These words of St. Paul, along with our reading for today are strong reminders to us as Christians of who are enemy is in this life and who it isn’t, but also how we deal with him. Yes, him! Satan, the devil. The old evil foe which is why we are not in a conventional style of warfare as Paul writes. Which means that we have to have a different tactic as well as a different weapon. The devil tries to get us to think that we can fend for ourselves in the scrimmages that we have to deal with in this life, which we call sin. If we begin to think that we are doing pretty good in fighting against temptation, this is when we think that we can rely on ourselves, and we are playing right into his hand. For Jesus shows us and tells us what we are to do when it came to His own temptation, when He says three times to the devil, “It is written,” followed by a Biblical quotation that fit the temptation. This is how we know that in the midst of spiritual warfare, which is what we are in on a daily basis, we already have been given the tools that we need. This is why St. Paul writes this in Ephesians 6:13-18 “13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” This is how Christians “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

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