Brent Kuhlman

Proper 29 / Last Sunday

Brent Kuhlman — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:35:36 -0700

Proper 29 / Last Sunday Trinity Lutheran Church
25 November 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

Luke 23:27-43

What in the world is going on? Who were the knuckle heads who assigned these readings for today? Good grief! We’re on the very verge of Christmas – Christmas program practices, purchasing poinsettias and Christmas trees, Advent services and the like. And what do we get today? A text from Good Friday! Memo to the liturgical big wigs: put this text where it belongs: Holy Week / Good Friday!

Not so fast my friends. Let’s not be so quick to criticize. For today is the end of the Church Year. The Sunday of The Fulfillment. When everything comes to a climax. Everything reaches its apex. Yes, everything. The most important day in the history of the world, the universe and for you is precisely from the text: Good Friday. The bitter suffering and crucifixion of our God Jesus Christ on the cross.

Nothing more important than what happened on the day when God Jesus was hung at the place called “The Skull.”   No bigger fulfillment day than when God Jesus endures the death sentence and is crucified together with two other thugs.

Why? Listen again to the Epistle. It’s describes the staggering enormity of what transpired for you, for the world, and for the universe at Skull Place.   “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness [of the deity] to dwell in Jesus, and through Jesus to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through blood of His cross; through Jesus, I say whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

An all things reconciliation. All things. No one and nothing in heaven and on earth was left out of our God’s suffering and death. Jesus gave His life for all. For every thing. He shed His blood as the pure and sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. So that you, the world, and the universe are at peace with the Father.

But there are those who reject Him and His saving work for them. The rulers: “He saved others; let Him save Himself. You say you’re the Christ? Then get off that Cross! Christ’s aren’t supposed to suffer and die!” The soldiers: “If you’re the king of the Jews, save Yourself!” One of the punk criminals: “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

Jesus isn’t about saving Himself. He needs no Savior. He is the Savior! Imagine Jesus doing what they mockingly hurl at Him. Pulling His arms and feet free of the nails. Hopping off the wood. Healing His wounds. Regaining His divine strength. And then whaling away on those poor saps that hurt Him and made so much fun of Him. It would be ugly.

But He will not. He will not save Himself. He doesn’t need saving. We do. It’s only in Him – in His bitter suffering and death, that “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins,” as the Epistle declares.

And so Jesus prays: “Father, forgive them. Forgive these sinners. Forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.”   That’s an amazing love. A stunning salvation.

And His work and Word of forgiveness bear fruit. Someone is staggered by His magnificent forgiveness. Someone gets: “delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of the Father’s beloved Son.”

One of the gangster thugs is brought to faith! “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom! Remember me in your mercy! In your forgiveness that you’ve just prayed and promised!”

Well, Jesus is in His kingdom right there. He wears a crown: thorns. He sits on a throne: the cross. He reigns as the King of the Jews just as the sign above His head says.   Dishing out forgiveness and salvation. Reconciling all things in heaven and on earth to His Father by His most precious Blood. Justifying the ungodly. And so Jesus says to this sinner that believes in Him: “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

So too the Lord Jesus has brought you to faith in Him. He remembers you as the one for whom He died. For whom He shed His Blood. Jesus’ promise of, “truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise,” came to you at your Baptism. Bringing you out of unbelief’s darkness into the kingdom of His Son.   His word of forgiveness gives you Paradise’s peace with the Father. He ushers you to Paradise’s table today where He serves up His Calvary Body and Blood.

God’s work of salvation is finished. That happened at the place called The Skull in the suffering and dying body of God Jesus on the cross. Salvation’s benefits are given to you today. Jesus says so in His Word and Supper. His prayer, “Father forgive them,” is also applied to us.

I’m quite thankful that we were given a Good Friday text today. Jesus heard the mockery: “Save yourself and us.” Well He didn’t save Himself. That was never his MO. Instead, He died. And in His death He really did save us. Can’t get any more fulfilling than that.

Happy Sunday of the Fulfillment. See you next Sunday for another Advent.

In the Name of Jesus.

Thanksgiving Eve

Brent Kuhlman — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:47:32 -0700

Thanksgiving Eve Trinity Lutheran Church
21 November 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

Luke 17:11-19

Could have told you this would happen Jesus. I mean REALLY! It’s a no brainer!

Mistake number one: you purposely walk right by the leper colony. Don’t deny it. Everyone knows that’s the stupidest thing anyone could do. But you did. Didn’t your mother teach you to stay away from leper colonies? But you’re always the risk taker. Pushing the envelope. Mistake number two: you get within earshot, hear their cry for help, and you actually listen to them. And to top it all off mistake number three: you heal all ten of them willy-nilly.   Good grief! What’s this Savor production of yours coming to?

And look at all the thanks it gets you! Don’t say I didn’t tell you so. How many don’t come back? Nine. That’s right! Nine! Nine never come back. Won’t even take a few minutes to say, “Thanks man! Really appreciate it! You’re a life saver!” No thank you card. No email note. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

Maybe this teaches you a lesson Jesus! You just can’t go around indiscriminately loving and healing people, let alone lepers! You just can’t recklessly give out gifts to anybody and everybody that hangs around street corners. There have to be limits. Standards. Criteria. Percentages. Nine Jesus! Nine out of ten didn’t come back to even say “Thanks.”

Giving is a risky business. The high priestly gifts of Jesus and His high priestly benevolence do go unappreciated. Even abused. Sometimes down right rejected. Wouldn’t it be safer and smarter to not give at all then? Then you would not be discouraged by those who disappoint you or betray your giving!

But Jesus takes the risk. Takes the chance. Sets no conditions. Does no pre healing interviews to see who deserves what. Heals all ten.   Then off He goes to do a Good Friday High Priestly dying for them and for all. For you and for me. And some, even many don’t’ give a flying . . . Nine to be precise.

And yet, unbelievably, inconceivably, Jesus abundantly gives. Dishes out healing for the lepers. Does a Calvary for every person in the world. Absolves everyone in His resurrection. Provides you with a home, hamburger, T-bones, deer jerky, and pork chops. A vegetable garden. A yard. Laptops. SUVs. Levis. Rocket Dogs. High def fifty- inch plasmas. Leather furniture. X-Box 360s. Oh yes, it looks like we’ve earned all this stuff all on our own. But its just the opposite. Jesus provides it all. And all this He does only out of fatherly divine mercy and goodness without any merit or worthiness in you or me.

One does return. A Samaritan. He believes in Jesus. Faith gives thanks. Faith praises God. “Now one of them when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down on his face at His feet giving Him thanks.” The least likely of the ten to appreciate the gift. But he does. And He knows who is the Giver. He believes in the Giver. Jesus, God in the flesh. He shows Himself to the only priest who counts: Jesus, the great High Priest! He returns to the temple where God dwells graciously on the earth: the body of Jesus!

Tonight we benefit from the example of the Samaritan’s faith and thanksgiving. Like the Samaritan we stand before Jesus tonight, every Sunday, and always as beggars with empty hands. To receive everything as an undeserved gift from Him. Thanksgiving shows that we have heard the gospel and have actually received God’s grace. That we believe that Jesus risked everything for us and for our salvation.

Jesus doesn’t benefit from our thanking Him. We do! The more we thank God the Father through Jesus Christ His dear Son, the more we recognize how generously and bountifully He deals with us.

Thanksgiving opens our hearts and minds to His hidden generosity. It increases our confidence in His magnificent giving and makes us more receptive to Him. It adjusts us to His marvelous giving.

No wonder the blessed apostle Paul urges us to present our petitions to God the Father with thanksgiving.   For when we thank Him for all the blessings that we have received, we confidently ask Him for more and more (Phil 4:6). For the lepers it was healing. For you and me it’s the healing that comes from His Word of forgiveness and His Body and Blood in the Sacrament.

So, “get up. Go your way. Your faith in Jesus has made you well.” For anyone who is in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed the new has come.

Have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. In the Name of Jesus.

Proper 28 / Second-Last

Brent Kuhlman — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 06:50:52 -0700

Proper 28 / Second-Last Sunday Trinity Lutheran Church
18 November 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

Luke 21:5-28

Prophet Jesus. He preaches about the future and about the Last Day. He predicts the destruction of Jerusalem’s temple. “Not one stone will be left upon another. It will be torn down completely. When you see Jerusalem surround by armies her end has come.” And it did. From 66-70 A.D. the Roman general Titus besieged Jerusalem. It was horrible carnage. Catastrophic destruction. Murder by the thousands. Cannibalism. Starvation. So Jesus gives fair warning. “Get out of Jerusalem when you see the armies coming! Run to the hills! If you’re pregnant or nursing a child you better get out quick. And don’t try to come back! It’s going to be absolutely horrible!” And it was.

Jerusalem’s agonizing end is a foretaste of how it be at the very end. Like the Last Day in miniature. Like the Last Day ahead of time. But until the Last Day when Jesus “comes in the cloud with power and great glory,” there are events in history that point to the Last Day’s coming.

There will be false prophets and false christs. “Don’t be deceived by those who claim to be me,” Jesus says. “Don’t follow them. They’ll promise you heaven but they’ll only deliver hell.”   Loads of those in the world. Just turn on your TV, surf the internet, or listen to the radio.

Then Jesus says there will be wars and disasters in the world. Loads of those too. Afghanistan. Iraq. The Sudan. Unrest in Pakistan. Terrorism. AIDS and famine in Africa. Hurricane Katrina. Drought in Georgia. Fires in California. Cyclones in Bangladesh. “Do not be terrified,” Jesus says, “for the end is still to come.”

The church will be persecuted. Believers will be put to death. “They will lay their hands on you. You’ll be brought before the authorities. And you’ll be put in prison and killed.” Take a Bible with you the next time you visit Saudi Arabia. Tell someone about Jesus in Indonesia or Pakistan. You’ll be jailed. Maybe even murdered. Try to build a church in China. It will be bulldozed. Confess Jesus as the only Savior in America and you’ll be ridiculed and laughed at. Considered the enemy of the state. For being a Christian your relatives may turn you in. They’ll hate you because you confess Christ’s name. But all this “will lead to an opportunity for your testimony,” Jesus declares.

And as the Last Day gets closer and closer there will a ton of anxiety. The whole earth will be in mega stress.   “Signs in the sun and moon and stars. The heavens will be shaken. Dismay among the nations. The seas will churn. People will faint from fear of all the troubles in the world.”

But we do not despair as the world collapses. Why? “When you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Jesus is your redemption. He’s drawing near.

On the Last Day Jesus will not come to condemn you. He is your Savior. He died for you. You are forgiven. You are baptized. He who comes in great power and glory will welcome you to heaven to be with Him forever.

As a foretaste of the eternal feast to come, come to the Lord’s Supper today. In the midst of a collapsing, crumbling world the Lord Jesus welcomes you into His presence. He comes to you in the power and glory of His Good Friday Body and His Blood. So even today “straighten up and lift up your heads because your redemption [Jesus Himself] is drawing near.”   Today the Lord’s Supper He draws near. Very soon on the Last Day. For you. To give you salvation.

In the Name of Jesus.

Proper 27 / Third-Last

Brent Kuhlman — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:26:32 -0700

Proper 27 / Third-Last Sunday Trinity Lutheran Church
11 November 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17

This is the first time I’ve preached from this text. And most likely, you’ve never heard a sermon from 2 Thessalonians 2. Perhaps some of you have never read this text in your life. So strap yourself in the pew and get ready. Today’s sermon could be a bumpy ride. Not because it will be longer than most of my sermons. The bumpy ride could take place because this text might just be what Peter had in mind when he said that Paul wrote about “some things that are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16) “that the untaught are able to distort as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” So he who has ears to hear let him hear. Are you ready? Are you sure? You insist that I go ahead? All right. Here goes!

First off, when did the last days begin? If you say 1948, you’re dead wrong! If you say 1981, you’re dead wrong again. If you say that the last days haven’t begun yet, that’s three strikes and you’re out. So what’s the answer? Better make sure you’re buckled in. The answer may be quite scandalous.

According to the New Testament the last days got cranked up when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried! The first sermon Jesus preached indicated this most clearly: “The time is fulfilled! The kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). The fulfilled time is all the last day promises of the Old Testament that included the birth of God King reigning on
the earth Jesus, the Savior! And His last words from His king crowned head before He died were: “It is finished!”

So every generation from the apostles to the very last day is living in the end times. St. Paul speaks of the church in Corinth in his day as one “upon whom the end of the ages has come,” (1 Corinthians 10:11). “In these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son,” Hebrews 1:2 says. St. Peter writes that Jesus “has appeared in these last times for your sake,” (1 Peter 1:20). The entire period from Christ’s first coming until He comes again in glory on the Last Day is the end of time, the last days!

Judgment Day is coming. Jesus will come to judge the living and dead on the Last Day. He will return in glory for all to see. Then the crucified and risen Jesus will raise your dead body from the grave and you will spend eternal life with Him in heaven. All that is coming. Faith will then give way to sight. But the Last Day hasn’t happened yet!

Until then, don’t let anyone, even if he or she claims apostolic authority, snooker you. Don’t let anyone, even if he claims to be a bishop, pull the wool over your eyes. Don’t let anyone cause you any doubt. “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

“Let no one in any way deceive you.” You know, the lunatic fringe religious types who claim they’re the second coming of Jesus Himself. Like the Rev. Sun Yung Moon. Or the guy in Florida that 20/20 exposed not too long ago. “Let no one in any way deceive you.” You know, like those who contend that the Last Day has already taken place and that you’ve been left behind.

“Let no one in any way deceive you.” Why? Because the Last Day will not come until two things take place. First there will be a falling away from the faith. A renunciation. A rejection. “Let no one in any way deceive you for the Last Day will not come unless the apostasy comes first.”

This began in Jesus’ life. After the John 6 flesh and blood sermon, the mega church crowds stopped following Jesus and then connived for a way to kill Him. For some quick cash Judas betrayed Him. So as not to be embarrassed Peter denied Him. Most of the apostles fled from the horror of His shocking suffering and His excruciating death by crucifixion.

It continued in the days of the apostles. Christians and entire congregations abandoned the Christian faith. Demas, an early Christian, for the pleasures of the world abandoned Paul. Paul wrote these words to Pastor Timothy: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths,” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Gnostic myths. Like the Gospel According to Judas or the Gospel According to Mary. Gnostic myths like those resurrected again by Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code.

The baptized abandoned the faith when they faced persecution by the emperor Decius in the third century. During this time many pastors did the unthinkable. They handed over the Scriptures. Gave up God’s Word so that they wouldn’t preach it ever again.

The falling away continues today. The baptized leave the church all the time. Renounce Jesus, what He did for them on Good Friday, and what He gave them in their Baptisms. The majority of our catechumens rarely come back to the divine service after confirmation. Some never do.

Some of the baptized claim that they can no longer believe in a God who allows holocausts, hurricanes, and all sorts of harm to come to the earth. Some become Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses. A few forsake Jesus for Hinduism. Several decide that the earth is their mother god and that she must be saved at all costs.

But most of the apostasy these days is the rampant idolatry of materialism, pleasure, entertainment, and greed: “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith,” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Since we live in the last days, we live in the midst of the falling away. Apostasy. It will always take place until the Last Day. “Let no one in any way deceive you for the Last Day will not come unless the apostasy comes first.”

And then there’s the second item about living in the last days. St. John put it this way: “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour,” (1 John 2:18).

Apostasy and Antichrist! Apostasy and Antichrist are part of the last days. Part of the way things are from Christ’s first coming until His second coming.

St. Paul speaks of the Antichrist this way: “Let no one in any way deceive you for the Last Day will not come unless . . . the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.”

The Antichrist, “the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction,” will be unmasked. He will be revealed for all to see on the Last Day. Jesus will blow the whistle on the Antichrist and unveil him for who he is. And that will take place on the Last Day when Jesus Himself destroys the Antichrist. “And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.” Jesus will just say a word and the Antichrist will be no more. One little word from Jesus will subdue and destroy the Antichrist.

In the meantime, in Paul’s day as well as ours, the phenomenon of the Antichrist is going on.   “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work.”

And what’s the Antichrist all about? Well, the word “antichrist” says it all. He’s against Christ. Stands against
Christ. Tries to take the place of Christ. He “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship.”

And where’s the Antichrist going on? Where’s he doing his naughty work? ARE YOU STILL STRAPPED IN? BETTER DOUBLE CHECK. For the answer will stun you. No, the text doesn’t say that he’s alive and well as a politico in the European Union. Nor does the text say that the Antichrist takes up living quarters in the White House or in a remote Pakinstani cave.

The text says that “he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”

Did you catch that? He “takes his seat in the temple of God!” That’s the church! The Antichrist is at work in the church playing the role of God when in fact he’s in league with the devil!

This is part of the deception. The Antichrist parades around as an angel of light. Religious. Devout. Pious. Serious. Churchly. He comes in all churchly forms. He wears vestments and clericals. Sometimes he wears an expensive Armani business suit. Other times he dons a Mickey Mouse or Veggie Tale tie. And then there are times when he’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But he always comes as the religious big cheese. As if he’s the only one that counts.

The wickedness of the Antichrist is that in a very religious and pious way he diminishes or replaces the Lord Jesus.

Here’s the voice of the Antichrist: “Yes, Jesus is nice. And I can’t say enough good things about Him. But I tell you He’s not all there is for salvation. You have a free will. Use it. Do your part. You’ve worked hard all your life. Good grief, the least Jesus can do is move over a little bit and let you earn a little bit of salvation’s pie for yourself. Take a bite of this apple pie and you’ll have a little divinity in you just waiting to be let loose.”

Apostasy and Antichrist. This terrible twosome hangs around until Judgment Day. Until then, brothers and sisters, do not fear. For I’m thankful that God chose you in Christ from the beginning of the world “for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” That’s faith in Jesus who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thanks be to God that Jesus His Son loved you in His Good Friday death and buried you with Him in your Baptism. Thanks be to God that you hear and believe the Gospel of Christ’s death for you so that when Jesus comes on the Last Day you will not be thrown into the lake of fire and destroyed together with the Antichrist by the breath of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, remain firm in the truth that all your sins are forgiven and that eternal salvation is yours for Jesus’ sake. This you have heard preached from my mouth now for ten years.

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”

In the Name of Jesus.

All Saints (Observed)

Brent Kuhlman — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 13:10:36 -0700

All Saints’ Day (Observed) Trinity Lutheran Church
4 November 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

Revelation 7:9-17

When someone in the family or the neighborhood dies, the common question asked by children is: Where is Grandma now? Where is Grandpa now? Where is Mr. Smith? The question is asked with all seriousness. The child wants a sober, definitive and reliably true answer.

Some of you have lost loved ones or friends recently. Maybe not so recently. Death may soon come to a loved one or a dear friend. Where are those who believe in Jesus after they die? What are they up to? Would you like to know? Of course you do.

The Book of Revelation answers it.   First of all, when a believer dies, he/she doesn’t become an angel. Humans do not turn into angels that watch over us after death. Angels are part of God’s invisible creation. Humans are part of God’s visible creation. Secondly, they’re not ghosts who haunt houses Halloween style. Thirdly, even though they’ve died, they’re alive. Dead but alive. Alive in Christ. You remember Jesus’ promise: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die”?

Revelation 7 shows this fact of Jesus’ promise. “I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could count.” So much for heaven being empty. So much for the salvation of only a few.   The Good Friday victory of Jesus is immense. Enormous. John sees an innumerable multitude “from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongue.” The Lord Jesus didn’t just die for a few people. He died for all you know. And those who believe in Him are there with Him.

God’s enemies try to flee from His presence. To hide from Him. In any nook and cranny. Adam and Eve hid in the bushes after they tried to dethrone God. But in heaven the redeemed believers don’t hide. They’re “standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” The Lamb is Jesus. In His presence. Not floating on clouds. Not haunting houses or forests. They’re smack dab before the Lord. Welcomed by the Lamb. His Good Friday Blood has washed their robes and made them white with His forgiveness.

This is life in the fullest. All is restored. Every relationship healed. With God and with one another. All is “very good” once again thanks to the Lamb’s very good, Good Friday death for the forgiveness of sins. And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is life and SALVATION.

The redeemed are wearing, “white robes.” The garments for those who’ve been died for. Can’t get into Christ’s wedding party without them. White = purity. White = holiness. Robed in the purity and holiness of Jesus. That’s how they can stand before the throne and not get obliterated or incinerated. Insist on wearing something different and heaven’s bouncer will show you the door.

In their hands are palm branches. That’s what you have in your hands when you’re in the presence of Jesus. Remember Palm Sunday? The celebration of God’s salvation in Jesus on the Week we call holy.

And what are they up to? Sleeping? Playing golf? Chopping wood? Home improvement projects. No. They worship God. You can feel the walls of the new Jerusalem shake as this mega congregation from every nation, tribe, people and tongue cry out as one: “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.”

No talk in heaven about how well you did before you died. Or what an outstanding person you were. Jesus is the star of the show. He’s the Savior. “Salvation [belongs] to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” Salvation is the Lord’s. And He gives it out for free.

And then more praise. Not just the massive mob from every nation, all tribes, peoples and tongues. This a mega, mega church. Massively mega. Joining in on the worship are the millions of angels. The 24 elders who represent the whole people of God. The four living creatures who represent the entire created universe: the people, animals, the hills, the seas, the rivers, the stars and space.

And the praise goes on day and night. It never stops. You see, when you’ve come out of the great tribulation of this life with deadly sin and its deadly evil consequences, you can have time for full time faith in God and the Lamb. No more time outs for lunch and water breaks. No more eking out an existence by the sweat of your brow under the burning rays of a red-hot sun in the weed infested cursed ground. No more tears because of the failures and losses to evil or because of the shame and humiliation from sin.

For Lamb Jesus is the shepherd of this mega-mega church. Provides water for eternal life. He is the center of the
universe. Both in heaven and on earth. The Savior who has reconciled all things in heaven and on earth to His Father.

So where are the believers in Jesus who have died and await the resurrection of the body on the Last Day?

They are where they’ve always been. Alive in Christ. Alive with Christ. Alive around Christ. He’s got them safe and sound. Held eternally in His wounded Hands.

They didn’t have to wait until they died to go to heaven and be with Christ. They always were. Chosen in Christ by the Father before the creation of the world. Then Jesus took them into His death at Calvary. And then after they were born Jesus hooked them with His death and resurrection in Holy Baptism. Heaven came to them in their Baptism. Heaven came to them in the Lord’s Supper. And now they’re still in heaven. In, with and under Christ. Very much alive: in Christ. It’s just that they are waiting for the resurrection of the body on the Last Day.

Until then, the worship and praise of heaven is united with our worship and praise here on earth at the Lord’s Supper. In the Sacrament we stand before the Lamb and His throne as forgiven sinners. We are held safe in His wounded Hands too. And with Him at this altar throne are all the angels, archangels and all the company of heaven -- our loved ones, our friends, all who have believed in Jesus from the beginning of the world: Adam, Eve, Abel, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdelene, ect. If only our eyes could see. But it’s true.

Let us pray. “Lord Jesus Christ, let your holy Supper be my heaven on earth until I enter heaven.” In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Reformation (Observed)

Brent Kuhlman — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 07:53:14 -0600

Reformation Sunday (Observed) Trinity Lutheran Church
28 October 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

Romans 3:19-28

Happy Hour’s special today and always is the Gospel (straight up, neat and clean, neither shaken nor stirred). It is being justified before God because Jesus died for you. Dr. Martin Luther popped the cork of this 200 proof, 2,000 year-old Gospel and he couldn’t get enough. Neither can I. So I invite you to receive the undiluted forgiveness won for all by Christ’s very good, Good Friday death.

So here’s the big theological question. It’s the ultimate question. The life or death question. “How do you get heaven?” The stiff drink from the text is: “for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the Law [i.e. what you do or by what you don’t do].”

As I attend funerals these days the eulogies betray what people really believe. Grandma is in heaven because she was so kind, caring and loving. The perfect woman. Never hurt anyone. Did her best. Best sugar cookies and apple pies. Grandpa is with God because he didn’t smoke, drink, dip, curse or look at Playboy magazines behind the barn. Grandma and Grandpa are in heaven, the preacher says, because they were such moral religious people. They worked hard at it. And so they deserved eternal life. Merited it. Earned it. God owed it to them. Salvation is our achievement. Our accomplishment. “I did my part! Now God must do His! He’s obligated!”

Ask your friends. This is what most people believe. Many of them go to church. They may even sit in the same pew with you. It’s time to go the cellar, pull out that 200 proof, 2,000 year old vintage bottle called “Good Friday,” uncork it, and pour it out lavishly and recklessly.

The truth is that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”   “All” leaves no one out. No exceptions. All means all. All have sinned. All fall short of God’s glory. All have sinned sinners are full of rot. Like the bruised and battered apple that sits on the table for a week. Cut it in half and what do you see? Soft brown decay and rot. Rotten sinners merit only one thing before God: DEATH. DAMNATION. “The day you eat of it you will die.” “The wages of sin is death.”   Like rotten brown apples all have sinned sinners deserve to be thrown out into the trash heap.

That’s you and me. The world. Grandma. Grandpa.   Sinners who have sinned and who fall short of God’s glory. Dead in their trespasses and sins.

Then God up and does the most remarkable thing. He decides to give sinners what they DON’T deserve. Refuses to. For Jesus’ sake.

Hands over your sin, my sin, the world’s sin – all of it – every last bit of it – to Jesus. Puts it all on Him. Lays on Him the iniquity of us all and says to Jesus: “You be Peter the denier! Paul the persecutor, blasphemer, and assaulter! You be David the adulterer! You be Adam and Eve who ate the apple in the garden! Be the thief on the cross! You pay and make satisfaction for all sin and every sinner! Don’t leave anyone out! Not even Kuhlman!” Behold Jesus! He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

You are “justified as a gift by God’s grace through the” vintage bottle of “redemption” uncorked at Good Friday.

Good Friday uncorked for you. Good Friday’s 200 proof redemption poured out lavishly for you. At the font. You are baptized. Into Christ’s Good Friday death and His Easter morning resurrection. You are forgiven everything. Jesus says so in the Absolution. He says so in the Supper. Body and Blood of the Lamb for the forgiveness of sins.

What a happy hour! What a Gospel drink! Belly on up for the biblical vintage: “for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the Law.”

In the Name of Jesus.

Proper 24

Brent Kuhlman — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 06:45:54 -0600

Proper 24 / Pentecost 21 Trinity Lutheran Church
14 October 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

Genesis 32:22-30

Behold! The greatest wrestling match of all time! The patriarch Jacob wrestles with God. Can you imagine that? He wrestles with God. But what is even more astounding is that Jacob wins. He puts God in a stranglehold! And God gives in!

Most of us wouldn’t dare to wrestle with God. Wouldn’t even consider it. But not Jacob. He’s in deep trouble. He’s in severe crisis. His life appears to be at an end. His faith in God is seriously stressed.

Everything’s come full circle in Jacob’s life. It all started when he and his brother were born. Esau came out first. But Jacob had his hand clenched on Esau’s heel.

Jacob and Esau: twins. And yet opposites. Esau was the tough, fiery, red-hair-all-over, bear of a man. Big game hunter. A man’s man. A bar room brawler. A real head knocker. Get in Esau’s way and he might just teach you a lesson by pulling out his Smith and Wesson. Isaac favored Esau because his oldest son could fix the best deer jerky and fry up a great breaded deer steak.

Jacob. Quiet. Clean shaven and smooth skinned. A momma’s boy. Stays out of the bars. A home body. Hangs out with the women in the tents. Governor Schwarzenegger would call him a “girly man.”

But Jacob cheated his brother Esau of his birthright with a bowl of stew. And then everything came to a head when Isaac’s old man macular degeneration was in full swing and his senior citizen body was wearing out. As her husband lies on his deathbed, Rebekah plots. Jacob impersonates his brother and steals Isaac’s blessing that rightfully belongs to Esau.

When Esau finds out he vows to kill his brother. So Jacob has to flee. Has to run for his life.   A bounty is on his head. Esau puts out the order: shoot to kill! Jacob is exiled to his uncle Laban’s ranch way up in the north. There he works, wheels and deals, gets married, and has kids of his own. During his exile God promises Jacob that he would return to his home. God promises His blessings of forgiveness and salvation. Fast forward to today’s text.

Years have passed. Jacob is on his way home with his family and all that he has. Heads south. But look who stands in the way! Brother Esau is on the other side of the river! With four hundred well armed Smith and Wessoned men! “He is coming out to meet you Jacob!” The gig is up! Esau will surely get his revenge for Jacob’s sins against him. Take all Jacob’s possessions and livestock. Ruthlessly murder the women and children. And then slowly torture, maim, and execute Jacob himself.

What pressure. What stress. What anxiety. What a crisis.

So all through the night Jacob wrestles with God who has taken the form of a man. God dislocates Jacob’s hip. God appears to hate Jacob. God seems to enjoy hurting him. God appears to delight in giving Jacob what he deserves.

But Jacob will not give up. He will not let go! Tenaciously he clings to God. “Let go of me!” God commands. “Let go Jacob. Your thigh is hurt. You’ll be lame the rest of your life. Give up Jacob.” Jacob does not listen. “Not until you bless me!”

“Not until you bless me!” “Not until you bless me!” With these words Jacob wins. He’s got God in a stranglehold. It’s the full nelson of FAITH! And God gives in. The match is over. Ding the bell. God is defeated – BY JACOB’S FAITH! “Not until you bless me!” “Not until you bless me!”

Things not going so well in your life? One crisis after another? Perhaps it’s puberty. The body changes awkwardly and quickly. Is it the crisis of becoming empty nesters? Sending children off to college, watching them get married, and raising their own families? Is it a health crisis? Lost a loved one or a very good friend? Is it the crisis of divorce? Failing a test? Been betrayed? Hurt deeply by a friend or family member? Feeling the effects of sin in your life? Death staring at your door?

“Where are You God? Why do You always seem to be against me? Do You hate me?” Is that your cry? Are those your questions?

Then it’s time for another wrestling match. To call God out. To take God to the mat. Whether it takes one sleepless night or many. Whether God puts your hip out of socket or puts you in the sleeper hold. When God appears to be saying: “Let go of me, you’re hurt, give up, I’m strangling you,” faith reverses everything and puts God Himself in a throttlehold by saying: “Not until you bless me!” “Not until you bless me!”

The stranglehold of faith says: “Oh, yes, I’m not worthy God. I’m a rotten stinking sinner like Jacob. But you promised God! You are faithful. With you there is mercy. With you there is forgiveness. I know sometimes it doesn’t appear that way sometimes when I look at my life. But Your Son Jesus died for me. Your Son Jesus put His Name on me. Your Son Jesus gives me His Body and His Blood. You’ve promised to bring me home. To give me the Promised Land of Heaven. You’re not against me. You’re for me. You’ve promised. You’ve promised. I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

That’s a hold God can’t get out of. And He’s doesn’t even mind. Happy wrestling faithful sons and daughters of Israel.

In Jesus’ Name.

Proper 23 / Pentecost 20

Brent Kuhlman — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:32:41 -0600

Proper 23 / Pentecost 20 Trinity Lutheran Church
14 October 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

St. Luke 17:11-19

Lepers. Ten of them. Ever seen one? You’d be repulsed. Shocked by their disfiguring disease. Flesh being eaten away. Pieces of face, hands, feet rotting off. And very infectious leprosy is. Don’t get near a leper. Let alone ten. Quarantined and confined. Unclean. Excluded. Banned. Prohibited. Stay away! Leper alert! Leper alert! Steer clear everyone!

But here’s a Man. Jesus. On His way to Jerusalem. And we know what’s going to happen there. Calvary. Salvation. He’s going to do a Jerusalem. Going to do a Calvary. Going to do a Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world job.

“Watch out for the lepers Jesus! Don’t listen to them. Don’t help them. They’re not worthy. They’re not worthy. They’re history anyway. They don’t need mercy. They need to be left alone. Kept out of sight. Out of mind. They’re as good as dead!”

Jesus doesn’t listen to us. He listens to the KYRIE. “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

He speaks to lepers. The outcasts. The lost. The dead.

And He treats them as healed and brought back from the dead. “Go show yourselves to the priests,” He says. You only did that after you were healed.

They do what Jesus says. And on their way to the priests their leprosy disappears. They’re cleansed. Flesh restored. Faces in one piece. Noses and lips restored. Eyebrows and eyelids. Gums and teeth in order. Fingers and hands -- toes and feet in normal working condition.

All ten healed. Jesus is for all. For every sinner. No matter who you are. One of the healed men returns. Not a Jew. A Samaritan. Jerusalem Jewish priests wouldn’t have anything to do with a half-breed like him. No problem. He falls flat at Jesus’ feet. Loudly praises God. And says “Thanks Jesus! Thanks for the healing! Thanks for everything!” That’s faith. The highest worship.

Worship. You’re only supposed to worship God. The Samaritan’s got it right. Jesus is God. The one true God. The Body of Jesus is the manifestation of God’s presence on the earth. Jesus’ Body is the fulfillment of the temple in the Old Testament. Jesus is the House of God. God dwells. God reigns on the earth. IN THE BODY OF JESUS.

The other nine don’t see this or believe this. For them Jesus is an Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn or Kenneth Copeland. A healing vending machine. Get what you want and then off you go.

But not with this foreigner. He worships God Jesus. Praises Him. Gives thanks to Him. Genuflects profusely.

And to him Jesus says: “Rise.” In the Greek this is the resurrection verb. And that’s done on purpose. “Rise.”

You see the Samaritan is a object lesson for all of us. Sin makes us unclean. Unworthy. Excluded. Banned. Prohibited. As good as dead. Like the lepers.

But in Christ the dead live. Raised from the dead. Cleansed by His Blood. Purified -- sanctified by the sacrifice of His Body on the Cross. And He raises us to new life in communion with Him. Feeds us with His cleansing and enlivening Body and Blood.

And then the words to us as well: “Go. Your faith has saved you.” The translation on your bulletins is not so good. The verb in the Greek is “saved.” “Go. Your faith has saved you.”

Be careful now. The temptation here is to start paying attention to your faith. To yourself. Remember last week? Jesus spoke of faith the size of a mustard seed. That’s microscopically small. Too small to be seen by the naked eye. By any eyes at all. God alone sees faith. Let Him worry about your faith. Otherwise all you’ll do is pay attention to yourself. And that’s always naughty.

The Holy Spirit wants us to pay attention to Jesus. Jesus is the Savior. So the Holy Spirit gives faith when and where He pleases. And He gives you all the faith you need.

But, please remember, faith doesn’t focus on itself. We don’t believe in our believing. Faith doesn’t trust in faith. Faith clings and believes in Jesus.

We, like the Samaritan, have no room for boasting. The Samaritan didn’t say: “Look at my faith Jesus! See how big it is? Aren’t you proud of me?”

Imagine that you’re drowning in the Caribbean. The Coastguard officer throws you a float line. Hauls you to the boat. You don’t say: “Hey man! Did you see how I hung on that inner tube. We should make this into a reality TV show! I was magnificent wasn’t I?” No. You say: “Thanks a ton. I was as good as dead. You saved my life.”

Jesus is the Savior. Died for you. Rose for you. Thrown you a lifeline in Holy Baptism and you’ve wrapped your dead arms around it. As good as dead. But made alive -- raised to new life in Jesus. It would be silly for you to say: “I sure did a great job of believing Jesus. Aren’t you so proud of me?”

“Rise. Go. Your faith has saved you.” Faith saves because Jesus saves. You have a great faith because you have a great Jesus. “Thank you Jesus. You’ve saved our lives.”

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Proper 22

Brent Kuhlman — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:26:00 -0600

Proper 22 / Pentecost 19 Trinity Lutheran Church
7 October 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

St. Luke 17:3-4

It’s no wonder that the disciples beg Jesus to increase their faith.

Why would they beg Jesus for this? Because Jesus speaks of our relationships with one another. And that’s hard work. Perhaps the hardest ever. Especially when it comes to forgiving those who sin against us.

What’s your first reaction to someone who sins against you? Attack right back. Tit for tat. Quid pro quo. Revenge. Even the score. Win at all costs. By whatever means necessary. “You sin against me. I’ll sin against you. Yell at me. I’ll yell louder. Push me and I’ll shove. Stab me in the back. I’ll do it to you ten times worse. Steal from me and I’ll rob you blind. Betray me and I’ll make your life miserable. And I’ll do it with a vengeance. Hurt me and I’ll crush you. Ridicule me and I’ll call upon God’s name to damn you to hell. And I’ll enjoy it. Relish it very much.”

No wonder Jesus clearly says: “Watch yourselves. Pay attention. Listen up. Take a deep breath. Slow down. When my little ones, my believers see this, it’s a scandal. An outrage. Causes them to sin. They think they can act like this too. And if you folks are going to operate that way, tit for tat -- quid pro quo -- let me give you some advice. Tie a huge millstone around your neck and jump feet first into the deepest lake you can find. Sit at the bottom with all the carp and catfish and rot for all I care.”

“Or be who you are in ME. Unworthy servants for whom I died. I’ve forgiven you everything. Yes. Everything. No matter what sin. Big or small. No matter how scandalous. No matter how bad.”

“If your brother sins against you,” Jesus says “rebuke him.” Rebuke. This doesn’t mean to go off the deep end. To go ballistic. It simply means to lovingly but firmly tell your brother: “You’ve sinned against me. This is what you’ve done. You’ve hurt me.” You say this not to one up your brother. Not to win the argument or make debating points.

But for repentance. You want to win your brother. You want the brother who’s sinned to say: “You’re right. I have sinned against you. I’m so sorry I hurt you. Will you forgive me?”

And what will you say? “Well, Arthur, I just don’t know. You’ve been pretty bad. Let’s see some good behavior first. I think a little probation is in order. Then I might make a deal with you.” Or maybe the conversation goes like this: “OK Mister. I’ll forgive you but to make the deal stick you’ve got to promise never to do that again. Because if you do that to me again, I won’t be able to forgive you. My warranty for forgiveness only lasts for so long. Three strikes and you’re out.” That’s not a house of forgiveness. That’s a penitentiary.

Jesus simply says: Forgive. And while you’re at it keep on forgiving. In fact, Jesus ratchets it up to the hilt. “If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times returns and begs for forgiveness, forgive him.”

I suppose one of Shakespeare’s characters would put it to us this way: “Forgive? Or not to forgive? That is the question.” I think you know the answer. In fact, I know you know the answer. And for this work of forgiving our prayer is that of the apostles: “Increase our faith.”

And this prayer is answered. Right before our very eyes. Jesus says: “My unworthy servants. Here’s my Body. Eat it. Here’s my Blood. Drink it. My Good Friday Body and Blood given into death for the forgiveness of your sins. For the strengthening of your faith in Me. For the strengthening of your love for one another. Go ahead. Forgive as you have been forgiven by Me. This is your duty. The duty of faith in Me. So unstrap that millstone of unforgiveness from around your neck. And let your mustard seed size faith forgive the gigantic sins committed against you. Because they’ve all been deep-sixed in the Mulberry Tree of My Calvary death anyway. Never to resurface again.”

Happy forgiving your brother or sister who sins against you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

Proper 21

Brent Kuhlman — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:21:28 -0600

Proper 21 / Pentecost 18 Trinity Lutheran Church
30 September 2007 Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

St. Luke 16:19-31

Appearance. Style. Image. They’re everything. In debates. At work. In school. Heathly, wealthy and successful? Well then, God must love you. That’s the popular thinking.

But appearances or images can fool you.

Take Lazarus for example. A beggar. His body riddled with sores. Oozing ulcers. Dogs lick the pus. An outcast. Rummages through the dumpster for food. Looks for the scraps that have fallen from tables of the rich and elite. Lazarus blessed? Model of the good life? Looks like he’s a man to be pitied. Bussed to a shelter and soup kitchen. No. Maybe an asylum. He APPEARS to not be blessed by God. In fact, maybe God doesn’t like Lazarus too much. Otherwise he’d be healthy, wealthy and prosperous.

So that brings us to the rich man. Armani suits. Custom-tailored silk shirts. Manicured fingernails. Botoxed forehead. Spa-ed and tanned. His daily menu is not a notch below royalty. Caviar. Lobster. Escargot. Cornish hen. Kippered salmon. Filet mignon. Oyster in the half shell. Coddled eggs. Waldorf salads. Trifle and frozen custard. Claret and champagne. And a portfolio to bankroll his extravagant lifestyle indefinitely. Wears out 3 stock brokers and his church treasurer before noon every day with all his wheeling and dealing. Secure and confident. From ALL APPEARANCES he seems to be blessed by God. That what the best selling authors say.

Appearances can be deceptive. What counts, however, is what God sees. What counts is how these two men stand before Him. Before Him nothing can be concealed.

Both die. Death strips both of them of their outward appearances.

Angels escort Lazarus to heaven. Abraham’s bosom. No more sickness, shame, or hunger. Sores gone. He feasts from the bounty of the Savior’s table. Given a place at the banquet of salvation with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now we see Lazarus as he really is. Clothed with the righteousness of his Savior. His poor life redeemed. He shines in a glory not his own. He is in the presence of His God and Savior Jesus.

Death peels back the veneer of prestige and fortune of the rich man. Unravels the wealth he used to hide his spiritual corruption. Jesus says: “The rich man died and was buried.” Can you imagine the eulogies? The magnificent funeral? Attended by heads of state and hollywood celebs. But he died without faith in Jesus. His god? Money. He ends up in hell. Forever separated from Jesus.

The agony and torment of hell is immense. Of never ending regret. Forever seeing Jesus but having no access to Him. Seeing what could have been and now never can be.

So Jesus pictures the rich man looking over that great divide. That unbridgeable chasm between heaven and hell. Remarkably, even in hell, the rich man still thinks he can call the shots. Wants to use Lazarus as his lackey. “Father Abraham,” he demands, “send that poor chap Lazarus over here with a drop of water to cool my tongue.” “Sorry Charlie. No can do. Lazarus is in paradise. He’s forever separated from all that would cause him pain.”

Still thinking he’s in charge, the rich man barks out more orders. “Send that sap Lazarus to my brothers. To warn them. We don’t want them to end up here in hell with me do we?”

“You just don’t get it do you Charlie. Your brothers have Moses and the prophets, i.e. the Scriptures. They’re read in church every Sunday. They proclaim Jesus the Savior. Let them listen to the Word of God preached in church.”

“Yea, right Abraham! Nobody pays attention to sermons. Been to church lately. I’ll tell you what. Let’s do a crossing over thing. A back from the dead extravaganza. If Lazarus returns from the grave, surely my brothers will get religion. Seeing a ghost from the grave is just the ticket. They’ll clean up their life for sure. I’m brilliant. Haven’t lost my touch even in hell. Chop chop Father Abraham!”

“No dice,” is Father Abraham’s icy reply. “No wonder you’re in hell Charlie. The Scriptures plainly proclaim Jesus as the Savior. The one true God. And guess who died and ROSE FROM THE DEAD? . . . I’m waiting. . . . Still no answer? ... Time’s up. The answer’s Jesus. He rose.”

Father Abraham continues. “Moses and the prophets constantly preached this. But you would not listen. You would not believe. The prophet Amos warned you about your idolatry. Putting all your trust in your prized possessions and wealth. And one of our Lord’s apostles wrote: ‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.’ In life you appeared to be blessed. You fooled a lot of people. I heard what they said at your funeral. But appearances, especially in your case, were deceptive. You’ve wandered from the faith. You’ve pierced yourself with the eternal grief of hell.”

Brothers and sisters, Jesus is your God. He is your Savior. He died and rose from the dead for you. For all your sin. Including the idolatry -- the worship of money. Scripture says so.

With Jesus you have everything. Your life is full and complete with Him no matter how sick or poor you might appear in the eyes of the world. You are heirs of heaven. You have in your possession all the treasures of God’s grace. At the Lord’s Supper today you receive the pledge of your eternal inheritance. There you take into your own dying body the life-giving Body and Blood of Jesus Himself. Receiving the foretaste of the heavenly banquet that Lazarus enjoys.

You’re numbered with Lazarus. One who believed and trusted in Jesus alone. And when you die the angels will carry you to heaven.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.