Ya Just Gotta Laugh!

From this month's Larknews, www.larknews.com






Mergers and Legal Notices

The following people and/or institutions have merged:

• Rebecca St. James Dobson
• F.F. Bruce Wilkinson
• Philip K. Dick Eastman Curtis Chapman University
• Olivia Newton John Hagee
• Jan Crouch & The Disciples
• Greg Laurie Anderson Cooper Tires
• Rick Warren Buffett
• Kenneth Copeland Sports
• John Eldredge Cleaver
• Billy Graham Kendrick
• Badly Drawn Boy George Michael W. Smith Goes to Washington Irving Berlin
• Bing Crosby Stills Nash & Young Messiah
• Tiny Tim LaHaye Billy Joel Osteen
• Creflo Dollar Rent-a-Car
• Toby Keith Green Day

Most Popular LarkNews Product:
1. "Jesus Loves You! Then again, He loves everybody" T-Shirt and Mug

Articles [Full text of articles with photos can be found at www.larknews.com]:

• Iowa man feels called to Saudi Arabia
  Kevin Watson, a lifelong Iowan, hopes to make a big difference for Christ in Saudi Arabia. He decided to go there while watching a video about Islam in his adult Sunday school class last week. [He] plans to start a men's accountability group and do some street witnessing in Riyadh. "It'll be fun," he says. "I can't wait to see what God does with me there."


• Altar Egos video game a 'guilty pleasure'
  At a recent board meeting, pastor Darrell Smith of Trinity Fellowship put a video game controller in each member's hands. Soon the 12 men were clobbering each other on an oversized TV screen as they played Altar Egos: Rumble in the Pew, the latest church staff craze. "I haven't felt this good about church in years," said one board member, smiling and sweating.

Terrorism? Naaaahhhh! Revisited

Use of Force or Forgiveness?

Given the comment logged re my previous post, and the following point made to me privately by a dear friend and brother in Christ, I submit this clarification. It involves the ever present tension between living in the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world at the same time.

My friend writes: "In regards to this article, remember we are all killers and capable of doing the same. But with God's grace........."

He is right about each of us being culpable before God and capable of the most heinous crimes. Yes, I am a murderer. And it is only my sin, my murderous self, that stands between me and God and His kingdom -- and only the grace of God in Christ wipes that away, brings me into his kingdom, and empowers me to live a life according to His commands, pleasing to Him and of service to my neighbor.

Furthermore, as a pastor and Layton City Police Department Chaplain, be assured that if this young man had survived, and I was called in the course of my duties to minister to him (terrorist or not, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, atheist notwithstanding) I would tell him that Jesus died for His sin. I would call him to acknowledge his sin -- not only murder, but terrorism meant to kill as many as possible and frighten everybody else into submission -- repent, and receive the forgiveness and salvation of the Lord. If he was taking his dying breath, I would probably even forgo the call to repentance in light of the Law's looming execution and go right to Jesus dying to forgive him and give him life.

Yet given that I do not have that opportunity and am speaking to those who must live their lives in the face of such evil, and how they should treat and prepare for such possibilities, I am compelled to address what God's Word has to say about earthly authorities and their responsibilities to the people entrusted to their care.

While in personal relations with their neighbors, even if they be enemies, Christians are to turn the other cheek and offer forgiveness, still if they have been given the responsibility to protect and serve others by virtue of family, business, or governmental authority in this world they are obligated to "bear the sword" (Rom. 13) as necessary to exercise their duties. Therefore, I would encourage law enforcement officials, who according to their training identify certain characteristics and behaviors, to have no guilt or remorse in identifying a terrorist act as as a terrorist act -- whether a Muslim killing for allah or a "Christian" committing arson at an abortion clinic. Likewise I would encourage every citizen to be vigilant to look for such suspicious characteristics and behaviors, and report or be ready to defend against them with whatever force necessary.

In such things, sanctified common sense tells us that there are certain factors and indicators of malevolence. For example, I would not be overly concerned if people I know happened by my house some Saturday afternoon and just peeked their head in the door and yelled hello. However, if someone did the same thing at two a.m. and was holding a weapon I would be obligated to protect my family by whatever force necessary.

Likewise, I do not think our police need to be concerned about a bunch of teenage Lutheran kids at a youth group function like we attended in Denver last weekend, going as a group to the mall. However, we do know that certain Muslim cells train and encourage young men to do precisely that which happened at Trolley Square. It is very similar to terrorist attacks in Israel going back to my youth. The hard truth is, this is terrorism by definition. This is what our military and law enforcement officials are here to protect us from.

All I am saying is that it is not helpful to pretend a problem does not exist. For the sake of the the prosecution of crime and protection of our people, terrorism cannot simply be masked as mental disease or defect or blamed on the manufacture and sales of guns as has been done with this case. This has not been the first, and will not be the last event of this kind.

Terrorism is terrorism. And it is not to be tolerated -- even in the name of Christianity.

Come Lord Jesus, deliver us from this and every evil, now and forevermore!

Terrorism? Naaaahhhh!

When a person

• enters a busy public place


• heavily armed


• with the intention of killing as many people as possible


• with no regard for even his own life


• resulting in six deaths including his own


• wounding four others

what would YOU call it?

Oh, and this person also just happens to be an 18 year old Muslim.

FBI rules out terrorism; authorities tracing shooter's guns (Laughing Martin is relieved)

Wednesday, February 14, 2007
By Paul Foy
The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- The FBI said Wednesday it has no reason to believe the shooting spree that killed five people in a shopping mall was an act of Islamic terrorism, leaving a young Bosnian immigrant's motives a mystery.

"It's just unexplainable," FBI agent Patrick Kiernan said. "He was just walking around and shooting everybody he saw."

Sulejman Talovic, 18, fired randomly at shoppers Monday, killing five and leaving four others with bullet wounds before he was shot dead by police. . . .

For the whole story go to http://www.standard.net/live/news/97867/

Why Lutheran?

"We are Lutherans for the same reason we are Christians"

by Rev. Edward Brockwell
Jyväskylä, Finland

Last summer, a friend and former classmate of mine, asked if we could get together to talk. He had some questions about the Christian faith. It goes without saying that, it is not every day when someone will ask, "What do Christians believe?" or even, "Why are you a Christian?" I think of the verse from 1 Peter that reminds us to "always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). Actually, when you think about it, "Why are you a Christian?" is one of the most important questions that any of us could ever be asked. Suddenly, and at that very moment, every word that we say becomes a matter of eternal life. . . .



For the rest of this intriguing paper by my good friend and colleague, please go to http://trinitylutheranlayton.bravehost.com/Articles/We%20are%20Lutherans%20for%20the%20same%20reason%20we%20are%20Christians.htm

Three Lessons from Life

Three Lessons from Life and Good News from God's Word

TEXT: The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:4-10

Today I would like to talk to you about three lessons I’ve learned from life. I know, I know I can see your eyes rolling back in your heads, here comes some pious pep talk about how he’s learned that when life gives you lemons you can either walk around like a sourpuss or you can seize the opportunity and make lemonade. No this is not going to be "Chicken Soup for the Lutheran Soul." And although I have been known to be somewhat sarcastic on occasion, I’m really not trying to sound like Mark Twain. Finally, though these three things may remind you a bit of Eeyore, Disney’s depressed donkey in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons, I am not telling you these things because I think we have sunk to the bottom and there’s nowhere to go but down.

That said, here goes, three lessons I’ve learned from life –

1. There is no such thing as a free gift. Someone always pays. Either there is a string attached for which we must look out or if not, the cost is accounted for somewhere – ask any CPA or MBA.

2. Far more people have died climbing mountains than from fear of heights. Now I don’t have the documentation for this, but I can tell you that at least a couple of times every year since I’ve been here, I have read in the newspaper, heard on the radio or seen on the TV news of someone who has fallen, ridden a bike or driven a 4 x 4 off the edge of a cliff here on the Wasatch Front to their sudden and premature demise. Now this is a terrible thing, and some of you may even know someone to whom this has happened, maybe you have had a close encounter of your own, but in the nine and a half years I have been blest to live in the beautiful state of Utah with its majestic mountains, indeed in all my natural born life, I have not once come across a report of person who has died from a fear of heights.

3. Never, ever trust a man who says, "trust me." The man who says trust me always has a smile on his face and usually a hand in your pocket. Guaranteed, this man is trying to sell you something that can’t stand on its own merit. Otherwise why would he ask you to trust him instead of examining the goods.

Okay, maybe I am a bit of a Mark Twain wannabe. I certainly envy the mane of hair he had into his old age. But please bear with me and hear me out on these lessons. I really do mean what I say. Let’s examine them in reverse order as they apply to the church in general and we 21st Century Lutherans in particular:

3. Never, ever trust a man who says, "trust me." Caesar had his Brutus. Samson had Delilah. Adam and Eve had the serpent. Even Jesus had his Judas. The temptation is to find someone we like, and maybe even more, who we think likes us. Someone who tells us what we want to hear and makes us feel good.

* These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’s instruction. They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" Isaiah 30:9-11 *

2. Far more people have died climbing mountains than from fear of heights. The self deprecating Lutheran lament goes, "you’re probably in a Lutheran church if the back rows fill up first." The temptation is to think that if we’re not on the mountaintop we are not in heaven. And so the implication is that sitting in the back is a sign of little faith. But perhaps it is more a holy fear that we are in the very presence of our Lord.

* The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7 *

1. There is no such thing as a free gift. The Lord's Supper conveys to us that the most remarkable thing about salvation is NOT that it is free to us, but that God paid such a high price to redeem us sinners.

* " In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."* Ephesians 1:7-8 *

God sent Jeremiah in our O.T. lesson with these words: *"Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.*

God sent Jesus in the Gospel lesson and look what happened: * "All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff."

Luke 4:28-29 *

God sends pastors to His church today with this charge:
* "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."

2 Timothy 4:2-5 *

God sends you into the world where, * "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:21-22 *

The Three lessons we learn from Life, all are centered in, and bring us back to, the fact that it is Jesus Christ in whom alone we have Life. These lessons are not "Chicken Soup for the Lutheran Soul," they are not sarcastic quips, they are certainly not depressing Eeyorisms. Rather they are the Good News of salvation in Christ through the forgiveness of sins unto eternal life:

1. Never trust a man who says trust me -- unless that man is the Son of God:

* "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1 *

2. Far more people have died climbing mountains than from fear of heights:

* "Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low." Isaiah 40:4 *

*"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."* Matthew 23:12 *

3. There is no such thing as a free gift – even God’s grace carried a heavy price, one you could never hope to pay, though it is freely given to you:

* "You are not your own; you were bought at a price." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 *

These three lessons mean you belong to God and always have -- even when you knew it not. For He has always known you and wants you to be saved unto eternal life with Him.

What could be more comforting than these lessons and the Words of Jeremiah for us today?

* "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." *

And what could be more assuring than Jesus’ invitation to the Kingdom of Grace purchased at the price of His very life and delivered to you in Holy Baptism?

* "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 *

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Auf Wiedersehen, Mike

It is time once again for us to say "auf wiedersehen," until we see you again, to one of the saints of Trinity Lutheran Church, Layton, Utah.

Mike Schafer, born 12 July, 1952, entered the Church Triumphant yesterday, 17 January, 2007. Having been tested and, by the grace of God in Word and Spirit, having certainly endured his "ten days of tribulation" by faith until death, our dear brother Mike has received the crown of life (Revelation 2:10) for which he was fitted at his Baptism.

I learned much from Mike. His ability to listen and examine the different sides of an issue, combined with his eagerness to hear and learn the Word of God, were gifts from God to him and the people who elected him to serve them at Trinity. Though we disagreed over practice and procedure at times, Mike’s willingness to publicly support me as his pastor in the faithful proclamation of the Word and administration of the Sacrament, while privately testing and holding me to the Word of God to account for my pastoral actions made me a better teacher and pastor.

There is no question that the Lord used dear Mike to help us through some difficult times here at Trinity, and us to help him in his time of need as well. The picture above is of Mike greeting me after my ordination. I thank our Lord that he was able to rejoice with me in that moment, as he was instrumental in getting us there.

For those of us who are still being tested and called to endure our own tribulation, including the loss of our beloved Mike, the Lord offers us this sure and certain Word of hope and comfort: "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, NKJ)

This we will do here at Trinity, 385 W. Golden Ave. in Layton, Utah, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 20 January, 2007. Please come if you are able, or offer your prayers with us and all the saints if you cannot. You can also extend condolences to the family at aarons@relia.net.

Auf wiedersehen, Mike!

St. Thomas, Apostle

Today, December 21, the Christian Church marks the martyrdom of St. Thomas. Tradition holds that Thomas was speared to death near Madras, India and died three days later, on this day in AD 72. Accordingly he is often pictured holding a spear as paintings of martyrs often show them holding or accompanied by the instruments with which they were put to death. Ironic, given Thomas demand to place his hand in the hole made by the soldier's spear in his dear Savior's side.

Here is a picture (one of my favorites) and devotion to commemorate the occasion.

Higher Things Daily Reflections

December 21, 2006-Thursday in the Third Week of Advent, St. Thomas the ApostleDaily Lectionary: Isaiah 42:1-25, Revelation 9:1-12

Readings for the Day: Habakkuk 2:1-4, Ephesians 1:3-6, John 20:24-31

“Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands and put your hand here and place it in my side and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (St. John 20:24-31)

What a wonderful gift St. Thomas is to you. Just like you, Thomas needs to see things for himself. He doesn’t merely want to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead – he wants to see “real” proof. And who can blame him? Isn’t that what you want, too – for the Lord to show you something “real” as proof that He is your Savior?

In order for Thomas to believe, he needs something he can sink his teeth into – or rather, something he can sink his hand and fingers into. Like the crucifixion hole left by a steel spike. Like the jagged gash left by a Roman spear. These are the things that Thomas considers as “real.” They are real to Thomas, because he had seen them with his own eyes.

He had seen Jesus taken into custody, marched up the hill to Golgotha, seen the Roman soldiers nail Jesus to the cross, heard the dying gasps, seen the blood pour from the spear-wound, and seen the dead body of Jesus placed in the grave. These are the things that Thomas considers “real” because he has seen them with his own eyes. And because he has seen them – he believes them.

Except, Thomas has this problem. According to the Lord – seeing is not believing. Believing is actually the opposite of seeing. To believe – to have faith – is to trust in that which can not be seen. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for – the evidence of things not seen,” the Lord has told you. (Hebrews 11:1)

Like Thomas, you are constantly tempted to think that the earthly things that you can see and touch that which is truly “real.” But they are not. They will all one day pass away. Even though you see them, feel them, experience them – they are not truly “real.”

This is why you thank God for Thomas today. It is to Thomas – and to you – that Jesus shows what is truly real. Hands pierced for your salvation. The opened side from which the River of Life eternally flows. A resurrected Body which destroys death forever. No longer are sin, suffering, pain and death real. Now, what is real for you is resurrection and eternal life. Thus, Jesus tells you, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Advent 2006 Reflections were written by the Rev. Daniel Feusse ( dfeusse@aol.com ), pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Clearwater, NE.

For a short form of devotion to use with this reflection click here. You can also find an RSS Feed and Podcast for the Higher Things Daily Reflections at: http://higherthings.org/reflections/rss.xml Our Podcast is updated daily with an audio version of the reflections.

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