Pastor at Immanuel and St. Peter Lutheran Churches

12/03/2021

12/2/2021
Dear Christian Family,
“Come Lord Jesus,” is the way we begin our common table prayer. We continue by inviting our Savior to be a guest at our table, and to bless the food we are about to eat. This is certainly an appropriate prayer when we sit down to eat, but have you ever thought of simply asking the Lord to return to this earth?

With all the trials and tribulations that are infecting society today have you ever just stopped to invite Jesus to return to this earth? That would mean an end to all the school shootings, all cancer and all the troubles of this earth. For some it would mean the beginning of a whole different type of suffering, an eternal suffering in the pains of hell. For believers, on the other hand, it would be the beginning of everlasting joy and peace because God loves us.

God created mankind in His image, perfect and holy. He wanted us to live and fellowship with Him forever. But mankind threw away their chance when they sinned against God in the Garden of Eden. They brought sin and suffering, trials and troubles into the world. Death, eternal separation from our heavenly Father was the result. But God still wanted to live with us, so He promised a Savior. To the devil He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

Our Savior humbled Himself and came to this earth as a little child. He was true God, but also true man that He might die for the sins of the people. He lived a perfect life from the cradle to the cross because we could not. He died that we might live with God forever. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) We remember His first coming every year at Christmas.

The days leading up to that special holiday are known as Advent. “Advent” simply means a coming, a time to prepare for Jesus’ second coming. At that time, He will take all who believe in Him into heaven where there will be no more sorrow or no more pain. Sin and death will be “swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54) We will live with God forever. What joy will be ours when Jesus comes again. So we pray, “Come Lord Jesus,” not just at meal times but all the while we remain here on earth. “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/23/2021

11/23/2021
Dear Christian Family,
Thank God for His compassion. Humans are sinful and often hurt others and themselves. But our God sees our hurts and in love acts to relieve them. The greatest hurt, we inflicted on ourselves, was when mankind sinned and brought eternal death on all. Our God acted in our defense, promising and then sending a Savior who would even give His own life to save ours. Because He died, God does not treat us as our sins deserve. Instead, in His compassion there is a place in heaven waiting for us. “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:7-10)

The Lord also has compassion when man commits horrible acts against His fellow man. A car ran down more than forty people yet in love our God reaches down to comfort and heal those who have been affected. To those who lost love ones, He reminds them that He understands. He too lost His only Son. But because Jesus died those who die in the Lord are taken to a place of joy and peace where they will never again feel the results of sin. To those who were injured, the Lord reaches down with a healing hand to mend the hurt, and to restore their health because God is gracious and compassionate.

He also encourages Christians to pray. Pray for those who were injured by the car or what they have seen. Pray for the first responders and medical personnel treating the injured. Pray also for the community. “Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16b)

God sees our needs and responds with love. “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7) As we begin to count our blessings for Thanksgiving Day remember that God is compassionate. He reaches out with a love that would cause Him to die for us, and He heals us in times of trouble. May the name of the Lord be praised.
Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/22/2021

11/22/2021
Dear Christian Family,
Thanksgiving is coming and people are getting excited. Many are excited to have a day or two off of work or school. Others are excited about a family gathering. They prepare a rich banquet of all kinds of food. It this way they thank God for both the blessing of family and for the food that He provides on a daily basis. Others are looking forward to a day of enjoying the football games and other entertainment that God gives. All of these are ways to thank God for the great variety of blessings He gives us.

Maybe the most visible of all the blessings that God gives to us is food. He gives us this blessing in such abundance that we celebrate with a feast. But food is not the greatest or most costly blessing we receive from a gracious God. The forgiveness of sins is. “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” (Psalm 103:1-4)

As part of God’s creation, He called into being many fruit trees to provide food to Adam and Eve. This food is certainly a blessing for which God deserves our thanks. But man wasn’t satisfied with the way things were. He wanted to be like God, knowing good and evil. When Satan deceived them, our first parents sinned, and brought death into the world. Sickness and pain quickly followed, but so did the promise of God. Because of His great love, God promised to send one who would defeat Satan, but the forgiving process would be a costly one for God, our Savior must die. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'" (Genesis 3:15)

God knew the results of His actions, He knew the cost of our salvation, yet He willingly died to take away our sins. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)

Our Lord endured lowliness and shame by taking our sins upon Himself. He paid the price of your sins and mine. He died that we might be His own and live with Him forever in the joys of heaven. The price of our forgiveness is the death of God. Thank God He has taken our sins away.
Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/20/2021

11/20/2021
Dear Christian Family,
The world is very evil. Sin has so infected the human heart that even if we wanted to follow God’s commands, we could not. “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19) Soon, Jesus will appear to judge the world. He will deal righteously with the people, punishing all who have sinned with the flames of hell. The only way for us to escape this terrible punishment is to find safety in the wounds of Christ. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

To us and to all who believe in Jesus, He will not appear as the fearful Judge, but as our loving Savior and glorious King. He will welcome us with open arms and then lead us from this sin filled world into the heavenly home that He prepared for us by His own suffering and death. In our Father’s house, there will be no sin, and no results of sin. There will be no quarreling and strife, no disappointment and tears, no worries and fears, no sickness and pain.

When Jesus comes to deliver us we will be taken from this sinful world and changed. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21) The culmination of all His work will be to bring us into our heavenly home where we will live with God forever.

But for right now, we remain on this earth. There is a reason God has not taken us home yet. It is our time of grace, during which God has graciously called each of us to live a life of repentance and faith. It also gives us a chance to bring God’s gospel invitation to those who have not yet heard of or do not yet believe that Jesus is the King of Grace. While we work and wait for the wonderful day of Christ’s coming, let us turn our thoughts to our heavenly homeland and the one who will lead us there, our Savior and King.

“The King shall come when morning dawns And light and beauty brings. Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray: Come quickly, King of Kings!” (Hymn 25 verse 5)

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/19/2021

11/19/2021
Dear Christian Family,

Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people gather along the street waiting for the festivities to begin. Then someone shouts, “Here they come.” In the distance you see a group of people turning the corner. You can almost feel the anticipation build as this group gets closer and closer. People are beginning to rise, putting their right hands upon their chests. Then, the parade is in front of you. The color guard passes and the fun begins with the band or a beautiful float. There are many different bright colors, flashing lights and blaring horns all celebrating the same theme. It’s a parade.

Thousands, maybe even millions of people are waiting for the Savior to return. The anticipation grows as the signs of the end times begin to take place. There are earthquakes, wars and famine. There is a time of tribulation as has not been seen before, then Jesus will return. We are told that He will come will all His angels and with the trumpet call of God to bring eternal life to all who believe. “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matthew 24:31)

The theme of this gathering will be salvation and the gift being handed out so freely will be eternal life. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) God had planned this eternal life with Him even before He created the world. He wanted man to live with Him so He created Adam and Eve in His image, holy and perfect.

Man sold the image of God for a piece of fruit from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” They were deceived into thinking that they could be like God if only they rebelled against Him. They ate and sin entered into the world. All of us were born in sin, without the hope of eternal life. All of us have sinned and come short of God’s glory. But God continued to love us, He continued to want us to live with Him, so He sent Jesus to take our place.

As a man, our Savior lived the perfect life we could not live. As God, he died the death we owe. He defeated death as He rose to prove that we also will live. He will come again to take us to be with Him forever. So we wait with great anticipation, just waiting to join the parade that leads to life in heaven. “Jesus is coming!”

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/17/2021

11/17/2021
Dear Christian Family,
Phycologists tell us that to lead a happy, well-adjusted life, we need security most of all. Many people look for that security here on earth. They are looking for the right job that will provide a house, clothing and food now and in the days after they retire. They are looking to money to make sure that they never have to worry again. But security cannot be found in money. Look around and consider what has happened to others who have placed their trust in the things of this world. Material possessions cannot bring lasting security to life.

Ancient Israel could serve as an example of those who looked to material possessions for security. They had turned away from God and sought peace of mind in the things of this world. Even people today look to money, a good job or earthly goods to take the place of God in their lives. They are caught up in various forms of idolatry. Their search for security in the things of this world is useless.

The Lord says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4) Our God reminds the Israelites that He was their help in ages past. He was the one who created them and cared for them in their childhood. He is the one who protected them when they thought that they were in the prime of their lives, and He is the one who would sustain them as their bodies weaken and die.

This applies to us also. He is our faithful God who has provided for us in the past. He is now watching over us and protecting us and will continue to do so until He takes us from this sin-scarred world into the eternal joys of heaven. Our faithful God provides all the security we need in this life if we would only learn to trust Him. He also provides for our eternal life by sending Jesus to die in our place and suffer the horrible death we owe because of our sins.

The psalmist, speaking by inspiration of God, reassures us that God is all we need for security from the beginning of our lives through eternity. “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8) Find your security in God our Savior.

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/16/2021

https://youtu.be/2Ab1cA0Hrtg

Saints Triumphant Sunday Service

11/15/2021

11/15/2021

Dear Christian Family,

What do you get when the end is not the end? The answer is a sequel. Sometimes a movie is made, or a book is written that leaves you wanting more. So the author or producer decides to add a second or third in a series. The same is true with life on earth. God created man to live with Him for an eternity. However, when man sinned, he brought an end to life on earth. Because we sin, we must die.

But, instead of ending our lives in the flames of hell, the Author of our salvation decided to write another chapter. This chapter had to be written in blood. Only the cleansing power of our Savior’s blood could wash away death and start all over again. The new saga begins, “’Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Just a few short pages in, comes the major conflict, Judgement Day. On that day, all will rise from the dead. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2) Where will we find ourselves? According to the law, we should be sentenced to eternal death. “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and de­bauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, or**es, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stum­bles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10)

But “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) The death of Jesus means the forgiveness of our sins. We live eternally because we are saved by the grace of God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Our sequel is eternal life. A new chapter full of happiness and peace has already been written in blood for each of us.

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/13/2021

11/13/2021

Dear Christian Family,

The car made me very uncomfortable. It was a hearse, with loudspeakers on top. From those speakers a voice proclaimed, “THE END IS NEAR.” The driver was talking about judgement day, the day we must stand before the Judge of the universe and be compared with the perfect law of God. He pointed out that we have all sinned in many ways. And we are guilty of breaking every law of God. “In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it. For the one who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not commit murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” (James 2:10-11)

All of us should be condemned, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The driver of the hearse wanted us to feel damned and look for a way to be saved. He, then, went on to talk about how we should change our ways and lead more God pleasing lives. He told us that a sinless life was the way to earn God’s favor. But the speaker missed the point. On our own we cannot be sinless, we cannot be the perfect person that God requires for us to enter heaven. On our own, judgement day will lead only to eternal death in hell.

But we are not on our own. “If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—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.” (1 John 2:1-2) Jesus came to carry our sins away. Because of Him, we are right with God. When He comes to judge the world, He will see the righteousness of Christ in us, and we will be declared perfect. Our heavenly Father will throw His arms around us, assure us that we are His child, and give us the crown of life.

The talk of judgement day may make us feel uncomfortable, after all we are sinners deserving of hell. But, as Christians we can find comfort in the fact that we are forgiven by the death of Jesus. When judgement day does come, we will be declared not guilty and invited into our Father’s house. “‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/12/2021

11/11/2021

Dear Christian Family,

“What are we waiting for?” You have probably asked this question a time or two during your life. It is usually asked after plans have been made, but before they can be carried out, especially when there is a delay. Maybe someone needs to prepare by changing their cloths or borrowing some money. Or, it might just be that someone vital to the plans hasn’t yet arrived and we must postpone our excitement until they get there.

That is the case as we anticipate the last day. The plans have already been made and set into motion. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) God wanted to live with us, but He knew that we would sin and condemn ourselves. So our Savior developed a plan in which He would offer His eternal life in place of ours. Jesus would take our death so that we could receive His life. Then as soon as mankind sinned, God explained the plan. To the devil He said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

He then kept that part of the promise. “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” (Galatians 4:4-5) The first phase is complete, so what are we waiting for? Why aren’t we living in the peace of heaven?

We are waiting for two people to arrive, first, the unbeliever. God wants all to be saved, but there are those who are condemned because they do not yet know about Him. God has left the privilege of telling them to us. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) It is our job to spread the good news that Jesus paid our entry fee to heaven. May there be many who walk that narrow path to everlasting joy.

We wait also for Jesus. “And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21) He will fulfil this part of the promise as well. Our Redeemer will arrive to open the wonderful gates to everlasting joy and peace. Until then let us wait patiently making the most of every opportunity to invite others to heaven.

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/10/2021

11/10/2021

Dear Christian Family,

It had been a long day. It had started early in the morning with chest pains. Then came the ambulance, the emergency room, doctors and nurses poking with needles, and finally the visitors. But now they had all gone home, and she was alone in the hospital bed and the loneliness began to set in. She finally had time to thinks about what had happened, how she could have died. Would she have had to face the great Judge of the universe alone?

Then she remembered that Jesus always keeps His promises. He said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18) Our God actually lives in us and is always there to help in this life and in the world to come.

Jesus came to help with our greatest need. In the Garden of Eden we had sold ourselves to death and the devil by our sin. We deserved nothing but eternal death. We inherit that original sin, and keep on sinning in thought, word, and deed. “The one who sins is the one who will die.” (Ezekiel 18:4) But God loved us so much that He gave Himself to die in our place. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

He didn’t just rescue us and walk away leaving us to fend off the devil, the world and our sinful flesh for ourselves. No, He is our Good Shepherd who watches over us, leads us to green pastures and protects us. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1-3)

There is nothing that can harm us. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we know that we are not alone. There is nothing that can separate us from the wonderous love of God. Our Lord is within us, we will not fail.

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus

11/08/2021

11/8/2021
Dear Christian Family,
What do you think of when your thoughts turn to Judgement Day? Some people dread this day, but the Apostle Peter tells us we need not fear. “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13) On Judgement Day we will inherit a new home, a home made especially for those who have been bought by the blood of Christ. That is good news, but it is even better news when we compare our reward to what we really deserve.

If we take a look at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word, the thought of standing before the perfect judge of the universe isn’t a very pleasant one. He is holy, we are not. Because we were born in sin, and continue to sin, we do not deserve a place in heaven. Our worries, doubts, greed and anger have separated us from the love of God. We deserve nothing but eternal death in the flames of hell. “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, says the Lord Almighty. Not a root or a branch will be left to them.” (Malachi 4:1)

Thankfully God is as merciful and forgiving as He is holy and just. God did not leave us to die in our sin. He placed all our sins on Jesus and transferred His perfection to us. Because of Jesus we won’t get what we deserve. We will get what our loving Savior earned for us.

So what will happen to people when the last day rolls around? When Jesus appears in glory on that day, all the dead will be raised from their graves. All of us will stand before Him to be judged. Those who have rejected God’s love and mercy will be condemned to everlasting death in hell, where “the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:8) Believers in Jesus will be made perfect, and with glorified bodies will be taken up into the eternal joys of heaven.

There is nothing to fear, and everything to look forward to. Because Jesus suffered and die in our place, we can think about Judgement Day with joy. It will be the day believers will enter their permanent home with peace and joy forever.

Your Christian Brother,
Pastor Andrus