Thursday Psalms: Don't Steal My Joy!

You might be thinking the psalmist who wrote Psalm 100 was just having a really good day, or perhaps just ignoring the world around him.  At first glance, doesn't he seem like the proverbial ostrich, with his "head in the sand"?  We can certainly commend him for calling us to joyful gladness, singing, thanksgiving, praising and blessing, but you might say "He doesn't live in my world!"  From where does all this happiness come?

PSALM 100     A Psalm for giving thanks.

¹ Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

² Serve the Lord with gladness!

   Come into His presence with singing!

³ Know that the Lord, He is God!

   It is He who made us, and we are His;

      we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

⁴ Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!

   Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

⁵ For the Lord is good;

   His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. 

Look at verse three, which simply and clearly points us to the Lord.  This verse contains the foundation of the faith the Lord has given to you or wants to give to you.  He is God!  The Lord, is not a god, not one of many gods, but the Lord is God, the only one, true God.   

It is He who made us, along with all things in this world and in the entire universe and any other possible universes around us!  He is Creator of all things; by definition and by His creation, we are His.  We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.  God named you and claimed you in your baptism, where He gave you faith to believe in Jesus, your Savior.  And as God's created & claimed people, God provides for us all that we need to support our bodies and lives.  

Of course, Satan the great deceiver and destroyer works quite successfully to take away our  joyful gladness, singing, thanksgiving, praising and blessing.  He and his minions in the culture around us scream loudly and often:

• God is no god, He is a made-up character.
• God did not create us; our complex bodies and the world around us just evolved out of primeval sludge by lots of random events which cannot be proven or demonstrated.
• You are your own person, and nobody, neither God nor anyone else can claim you or tell you who you are.
• God neither provides for us nor shepherds us; we should look to ourselves, the government or whoever we choose to give us what we want.

None of these lies produces any lasting  joyful gladness, singing, thanksgiving, praising or blessing.  They only produce corruption and death, and they separate us from the one true God.  They deny what the Lord God does, that He loves you, He has saved you from Satan and all your sins, and He has prepared a mansion for you in heaven where you will stay with Him forever.  

So today and each day of the coming week, I commend you to sing/pray/meditate on Psalm 100, and give thanks to God, always remembering:

   ³ Know that the Lord, He is God!

   It is He who made us, and we are His;

      we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188

mobile:  248.881.7627

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Pilgrim Worship blog page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”  Psalm 37:7

Pilgrim Worship Sunday July 24, 2022

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

July 24, 2022

We're glad & thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Once again, we had lots of great activities going on, starting with our 10:30 am Worship Service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us for any or all of these weekly events!

Here is information about todays worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

   Old Testament:  Genesis 18:17-33
                 Psalm:  Psalm 138
                Epistle:  Colossians 2:6–15
               Gospel:   Luke 11:1–13

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP 

Last week, Mary was commended by Jesus for sitting at His feet and receiving His gifts as her highest priority.  We too are blessed, to first receive His good gifts, and then we're even more blessed to serve and share with others.

In the Gospel text today, Jesus not only gives us a short version of The Lord’s Prayer, but also teaches us about how we should ask for and receive the good gifts He gives to us.  Imperfectly we pray, ask and give; but God is the giver of all good things.  God desires our persistent prayers, and perfectly gives us the best gifts!

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.  

Peace to you on this, the Lord's Day!

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188

mobile:  248.881.7627

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Pilgrim Worship blog page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”  Psalm 37:7

Thursday Psalms, Psalm 138

This week's Psalm is a delightful song of thankfulness and praise for all the Lord gives to you and me!

PSALM 138   Of David.

¹ I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;    

     before the gods I sing Your praise;

² I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name

     for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness,

          for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.

³ On the day I called, You answered me;

     my strength of soul You increased.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O Lord,

     for they have heard the words of Your mouth,

⁵ and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

     for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly,

     but the haughty He knows from afar.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life;

     You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, 

          and Your right hand delivers me.

⁸ The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;

     Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

          Do not forsake the work of Your hands.

I'd like to focus especially on the final three verses, which really summarize the loving relationship God gives to you and to me.   In verse six, David observes what is undeniably true:  the Lord, the Creator of all things, the One who is "higher" above and over all things/people/governments/etc..., "regards the lowly".  That's you and me!  This clause sums it up for us:  The God of the universe loves you, and cares for you, and provides all things for you!  How does the Lord "regard" us?  David reminds us, mentioning several things.  

First, the Lord preserves your life as you walk amidst trouble.  The Lord does not shield or protect us from all bad things, but He preserves our lives as we walk through those very difficult days.  The Lord preserves our earthly lives, keeping us in faith and promising that no person or thing can ever take away your salvation.  The Lord also preserves your eternal life, promising that He has already gone and prepared a mansion for you in heaven [John 14:2-3]!

Second, we read in verse 7b how the Lord works & fights against your "enemies''.  Of course, this doesn't mean that God is your special bodyguard, zapping your enemies at your command!  God's strong "right hand" [Jesus Christ] has already conquered and defeated our most important and dangerous enemy:  the devil, the world and our sinful natures.  The Lord has already DELIVERED you from sin, death and the power of the devil!  Those are you bad enemies and they're already defeated!

Finally, verse eight is just so powerful and beautiful!  Soak it in, pray over this verse as you wrap up this short devotion time.  And never forget the final clause:  You are the work of God's hands!  He created you, formed you in your mother's womb and has loved you INCREDIBLY since that moment you were conceived!  

Forsaken...?  Absolutely never!  Loved and forgiven?   Absolutely always & forever!

Thank You, O Lord for this psalm, and for how You wonderfully regard us, in Your love and mercy!  AMEN

Peace to you on this Lord's Day!

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188

mobile:  248.881.7627

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”  Psalm 37:7

Pilgrim Worship Sunday July 17, 2022

“Jesus in the House of Martha and Mary”

An engraving by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld,  1860  

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

July 17, 2022

We're glad & thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Once again, we had lots of great activities going on, starting with our 10:30 am Worship Service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us for any or all of these weekly events!

Here is information about todays worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SERVICE

  Old Testament:  Genesis 18:1–14
                 Psalm:  Psalm 27:1–14
                Epistle:  Colossians 1:21–29
               Gospel:   Luke 10:38–42

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP TODAY
The gospel text for today describes Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha & Mary, who react to Jesus’ presence in two very different ways.  These two sisters are familiar even to the anti-Christian culture around us; have you been called a “Martha”, as I have?
There are many popular misconceptions of this text, including the people and their actions.  Rather than compare and evaluate the two sisters, we’ll focus on Jesus and His loving, grace-filled encouragement to receive His gifts; “the one thing necessary”, “the good portion”.

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.  

Peace to you on this, the Lord's Day!

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188

mobile:  248.881.7627

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Pilgrim Worship blog page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”  Psalm 37:7

Grace and Peace

 GRACE AND PEACE

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”   Galatians 1:3
 
From today’s reading in the Treasury of Daily Prayer, written my Martin Luther:

Grace and peace—these two words embrace the whole of Christianity.  Grace forgives sin, and peace stills the conscience.  The two devils who plague us are sin and conscience, the power of the Law and the sting of sin (1 Cor. 15:56).  But Christ has conquered these two monsters and trodden them underfoot, both in this age and in the age to come.  The world does not know this; therefore it cannot teach anything sure about how to overcome sin, conscience, and death.  Only Christians have this kind of teaching and are equipped and armed with it, so that they can overcome sin, despair, and eternal death.  It is a teaching that is given only by God; it does not proceed from free will, nor was it invented by human reason or wisdom.

These two words, “grace” and “peace,” contain a summary of all of Christianity.  Grace contains the forgiveness of sins, a joyful peace, and a quiet conscience.  But peace is impossible unless sin has first been forgiven, for the Law accuses and terrifies the conscience on account of sin.  And the sin that the conscience feels cannot be removed by pilgrimages, vigils, labors, efforts, vows, or any other works; in fact, sin is increased by works.  The more we work and sweat to extricate ourselves from sin, the worse off we are.  For there is no way to remove sin except by grace….

Because the world does not understand this doctrine, it neither can nor will tolerate it.  It brags about free will, about our powers, about our works—all these as means by which to earn and attain grace and peace, that is, the forgiveness of sins and a joyful conscience.  But the conscience cannot be quiet and joyful unless it has peace through this grace, that is, through the forgiveness of sins promised in Christ.  Many have worked hard, inventing various religious orders and disciplines, to find peace and a quiet conscience; but instead, they have plunged even more deeply into even greater misery, for such tactics are merely ways of multiplying doubt and despair.  Therefore, your bones and mine will know no rest until we hear the Word of grace and cling to it firmly and faithfully.

Grace and Peace to you on this day!

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188

mobile:  248.881.7627

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Pilgrim Worship blog page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”  Psalm 37:7

Pilgrim Worship Sunday July 10, 2022

 

“The Parable of the Good Samaritan” by the Dutch artist Jan Wijnants, 1670  

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

July 10, 2022

We're glad & thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Once again, we had lots of great activities going on, starting with our 10:30 am Worship Service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us for any or all of these weekly events!

Here is information about todays worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SERVICE

  Old Testament:  Leviticus 18:1–5, 19:9–18

               Psalm:  Psalm 41
              Epistle:  Colossians 1:1–14
             Gospel:   Luke 10:25–37

OUR THEME FOR THIS SERVICE
In the gospel reading for today Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, an account well-known and admired by Christians and non-believers alike.  Jesus uses this story to point out the misunderstandings of a Jewish lawyer, which you and I also share at times.  We’ll explore several “traps” into which we can stumble if we don’t consider this text properly.  The full and proper understanding can be summarized by this statement:  Because Jesus saves us from sin and death, we live to show love and mercy to our neighbors.

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.  

Peace to you on this, the Lord's Day!

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188

mobile:  248.881.7627

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Pilgrim Worship blog page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”  Psalm 37:7

Pilgrim Worship Sunday July 3, 2022

 

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

July 3, 2022

We're glad & thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Once again, we had lots of great activities going on, starting with our 10:30 am Worship Service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us for any or all of these weekly events!

Here is information about todays worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SERVICE

           Old Testament:   Isaiah 66:10–14

                         Psalm:   Psalm 66:1–7

                        Epistle:   Galatians 6:1–10, 14–18

                        Gospel:   Luke 10:1–20

OUR THEME FOR THIS WORSHIP SERVICE
Out of jealousy and rage caused by his own sin, Cain killed his brother Abel and became mankind’s first murderer (Genesis 4).  When the LORD asked Cain “Where is your brother?” he infamously replied, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”  Over the centuries, many people have used this phrase to deflect responsibility, hide guilt and ignore others.  Perhaps you’ve said these words at some point, either seriously or light-heartedly.

In the Epistle for today, Paul teaches the congregations in Galatia a different attitude.  Within the family of Christian believers, Christian brothers (and sisters!), we are our brothers’ keepers!  Through Paul, God calls us to restore anyone who sins, to bear one another’s burdens and to examine our own works and bear our own load.  
How do these commands apply to you and me today?

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.  

Peace to you on this, the Lord's Day!

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188

mobile:  248.881.7627

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Pilgrim Worship blog page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”  Psalm 37:7