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in power and glory to complete your salvation by destroying death and leading you triumphantly at last into eternal life with him amen posted by randy asburry at 11 28 am no comments email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest labels advent gospel grace homilies jesus christ preaching salvation 29 november 2019 homily for thanksgiving day 2019 luther s take on thanksgiving day deuteronomy 8 1 10 1 timothy 2 1 4 luke 17 11 19 you have to love martin luther s take on thanksgiving day yes i know that luther lived and taught a whole century before the pilgrims luther lived in germany and never knew of pilgrims a ship called mayflower or a plymouth colony yet he still does a wonderful job of teaching us how best to celebrate this day in his catechism that is we live in a day when college professors and students spurn thanksgiving day they claim wrongly it commemorates a genocide of indigenous peoples the indians we live in a day when many seek their comfort and daily bread by embracing the common sharing of economic goods that system called socialism why labor toil and achieve if everyone gets the same goodies no matter what the thinking goes actually the pilgrims did try that experiment their original contract called for everything they produced to go into a common store each member of the community then would get a common share everything belonged to the community that arrangement did not work out so well especially after the first harsh winter and losing so many lives so william bradford assigned a plot of land for each family to own work and manage as they realized god s gifts of private property and possessions the pilgrims had plenty to support themselves pay off their debts and share with those in need they even sold food and goods to the indians and thus the original thanksgiving dinner was born thankfully we continue to practice what george washington proclaimed in 1789 a day to acknowledge the providence of almighty god to obey his will to be grateful for his benefits and humbly to implore his protection and favor washington also called this a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of almighty god thanksgiving proclamation 3 october 1789 let s do this not only in a national and cultural manner let s especially do this as god s redeemed children let s look to luther s catechism for his take on thanksgiving day when you gather around the table today do so reverently fold your hands and say the eyes of all look to you o lord and you give them their food at the proper time you open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing ps 145 15 16 all that food ultimately comes only from god he has graciously arranged for you to purchase it from the stores but it still comes only from him then you can pray the lord s prayer and follow that with this little prayer lord god heavenly father bless us and these your gifts which we receive from your bountiful goodness through jesus christ our lord amen everything you eat everything you wear everything you own everything about you your eyes ears hair color body structure and sexuality it s all gift what do you have that you did not receive 1 cor 4 7 on this day we celebrate god our father as the giver and rightly confess that we are nothing but receivers it s what the israelites learned through forty years in the wilderness as they prepared to enter the promised land moses reminded them how things really worked the lord had led them those forty years in the wilderness not they themselves the lord humbled them testing them to know what was in their heart whether they would trust him and follow his ways he made them know that man does not live by bread alone but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the lord dt 8 3 their clothing did not wear out their feet did not swell all because the lord god took care of them the lord god also gave them promises he would bring them into the good land brooks and springs of water flowing wheat barley vines and fig trees aplenty also olive trees and honey they would eat without scarcity they would not want because the lord is their shepherd and when they would eat and be full moses called on them to bless the lord your god for the good land he has given you dt 8 10 what was true for them the children of israel is also true for you god s children by jesus blood and baptism so when you finish the turkey and trimmings and before you rush off to the couch for football and food comas don t forget to return thanks luther gives more guidance reverently and with folded hands say give thanks to the lord for he is good his love endures forever he gives food to every creature he provides food for the cattle and young ravens when they call his pleasure is not in the strength of the horse nor his delight in the legs of a man the lord delights in those who fear him who put their hope in his unfailing love ps 136 1 25 147 9 11 and again you may pray the lord s prayer and follow that up with this we thank you lord god heavenly father for all your benefits through jesus christ our lord who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit forever and ever amen what could be better than topping off a delicious thanksgiving dinner with a sweet confession of the holy trinity with confessing that all of this bounty comes only through jesus christ himself that s what the one leper realized on the way to see the priests upon realizing he had been healed ten lepers were healed nine went on their merry way but only one turned back praising god with a loud voice lk 17 15 that former leper a samaritan by the way fell on his knees and bowed before jesus giving him thanks it s what you do when you realize the true source of your blessings the real giver of every good and perfect gift and while you re at it don t stop at giving thanks for common food and drink even the cattle young ravens and all critters large and small receive their sustenance from a gracious father and creator you actually receive more you receive only the best from your god and savior after all he desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 tim 2 4 jesus true god begotten of the father from eternity and also true man born of the virgin mary in the little town of bethlehem that means house of bread he is your very bread of life he has redeemed you he has won you from all sins from death and from the power of the devil no not with turkey or stuffing but with his holy precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death now you are his own now you live under him in his kingdom now you serve him in everlasting righteousness innocence and blessedness and this changes everything this opens the flood gates of thankfulness and praise now you know confess and rejoice that your god has given you your body and soul your eyes ears and all your members your reason and all your senses he even takes care of them still yes even with glasses hearing aids canes and so on your clothing and shoes your food and drink your house and home your spouse children and parents all gifts gifts from the father gifts made holy through jesus and in the spirit so go ahead receive your day s bread turkey cranberry sauce pumpkin pie and whatever else with thanksgiving god certainly gives them and so much more to everyone without out prayers even to all evil people thank him for the money the goods for the devout husband or wife the devout children the devout workers and even for devout and faithful rulers and good government that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life godly and dignified in every way 1 tim 2 2 by the way that s the exact opposite of what you are tempted to do and may even give in to doing on social media these days when you receive your daily bread with thanksgiving that includes kings and all who are in high positions when you do that you are living as god s dear children oh give thanks to the lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever let the redeemed of the lord say so whom he has redeemed from trouble ps 107 1 2 amen posted by randy asburry at 11 21 am no comments email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest labels homilies preaching thanksgiving 25 november 2019 homily for last sunday of the church year 2019 wise virgins the bride of christ matthew 25 1 13 jesus reminds us that this world is not home soon and very soon he will come again at his coming all who have trusted in him will enter with him into the marriage feast of the lamb in his kingdom which will have no end jesus says this coming reign of god will be like ten virgins who take their lamps to meet the eternal bridegroom these virgins look the same they all have identical lamps they appear to have the same purpose to meet the bridegroom these ten virgins are all people who have ever been associated with the church on earth they all hold membership in a congregation they all attend sunday services they all do churchly things they look the same to us but on the day of christ s coming we will discover that they re not all the same some are wise and some are foolish the foolish virgins are excluded from the marriage feast of the lamb they are excluded because even though they had church membership went to church on sundays and did churchly things they lacked faith in jesus in their hearts st paul said it well understand this that in the last days there will come times of difficulty for people will be lovers of self lovers of money proud arrogant abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful unholy heartless unappeasable slanderous without self control brutal not loving good treacherous reckless swollen with conceit lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god having the appearance of godliness but denying its power 2 tim 3 1 5 sounds like headlines in your newspaper or news website of choice the last days are all the years between our lord s first coming and his second coming in this time span many hold the outward form of christianity many call themselves christian but they do not know the power of the gospel they do not trust only christ for their life their identity their purpose or their forgiveness these foolish ones hear the words of jesus but do not believe them as jesus said everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great was the fall of it mt 7 26 27 a fool stops his or her ears to the words of jesus the words fall on the ears physically the words beat on the eardrums but the heart refuses to open the words fall to the ground and bear no fruit in the fool s heart a fool thinks that mere outward ties to a church is the ticket to heaven mere friendly association with other church goers is the same as being christian a fool may be on the church membership roster but denies the power of the gospel a fool may stay away from hearing god s word and receiving jesus sacrament a fool may hear the word and receive the sacraments but the divine gifts don t change heart and life foolish virgins think they know christ but truthfully they do not and he does not know them jesus answered truly i say to you i do not know you our lord knows all people very well and yet he says to the foolish virgins i do not know you frightful words in the bible knowing a person can mean different things it can mean a simple acquaintance but it can also mean intimacy such as the relationship of husband and wife when jesus says i do not know you he means i am not intimate with you you have kept me at a distance you have kept me from penetrating into your heart and soul you have kept me from giving my life to you imagine a man and a woman going through the formality of a wedding service but then never becoming intimate they are husband and wife in name only so it is with the foolish virgins they have been through the outward formality of church membership but they are not joined to christ they are not one body with him they are not bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh at his second coming jesus exposes the pretend christians and tells them the true and frightful words i do not know you lord spare us but to the wise virgins the door will be opened they will enter into the marriage feast of the lamb in his kingdom which will have no end the wise virgins are members not just of a congregation but also members of the body of christ they are joined to christ they are one body with him the wise virgins are baptized into christ buried with him through baptism into death so that just as christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father they too might walk in newness of life the wise virgins are nursed and nurtured on the very body and blood of christ under bread and wine it s how jesus nourishes and cherishes his own body the church the wise virgins partake of the divine promises the words of jesus do more than fall on their ears the words of jesus enter through the ears penetrate into the heart and enliven the soul the words of jesus take root in the soul and bear the fruit of faith the words of jesus give life with god both now and into eternity as jesus said everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock mt 7 24 25 you are the wise virgins you are the ones jesus talks about i know my own and my own know me john 10 14 you wise virgins are intimate with the lord he knows you and you know him he has penetrated your being with his gospel message you are one flesh with him in the custom of jesus day the virgins were merely friends of the bride and the groom they rejoiced with the bride and the groom not so with christ and the wise virgins the wise virgins are not just guests at someone else s wedding party in this case the virgins become the bride of jesus jesus transforms you virgins into his holy bride the church christ the bridegroom makes you his holy bride let s go back to genesis 2 the lord god looked at adam and said it is not good that the man should be alone god then remedied adam s aloneness by creating a bride for him god put adam to sleep opened his side took out a rib and fashioned a wife then as a good father giving away the bride the lord god also brought the woman to the man the man looked at his bride and said this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh and the two became one flesh jesus is the second adam on the cross he was put to sleep in death his side was pierced open and out flowed blood and water and from that blood and water the father created you the bride of christ the church for there are three that testify the spirit and the water and the blood and these three agree 1 jn 5 7...