"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." [Mk 7:50]

By the time you read this you will probably know who the next president is going to be. Many of you though have your fears and doubts about the future of this nation. There is definitely a lot to fear. You have the economy, wars and rumors of wars, job loss, health insurance, your own health, your family, the economy, oops, I mentioned that already.

It seems as though our circumstances in the future don't look so good. Or maybe, you are looking at your future circumstances, and you are thinking that everything is going to be fine or even better than fine, things are going to be great.

The thing is, no matter what our circumstance, we can't let them rule our lives. We must allow something, even someone else rule our lives. That someone, of course is Jesus Christ.

Paul put it best when he said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry, whether in plenty or in want, I can do all things through Christ who give me strength.

And how does He give us strength? He gives us strength through the very fact that he died on the cross for us and three days later rose from the dead. Those acts of dying and rising give us strength because they are the be all and end all of our existence. They give us strength because, as Christians, we now live to him and die in him. They give us strength because we know that neither death nr life, things in the present or in the past, neither angels nor demons, nor anything else in all creation is able to separate from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So whether Barack Obama or John McCain is president; whether our economy turns into a recession or depression or goes so far up that you can't see the top; whether we lose our health care, our social security, and our 401k's all on the same day or they are all doubled; whether we have enough food in our pantries for ten families or our cupboards are bare; whether we are the supreme picture of health or are on our last breaths; we know that Christ will never leave us nor forsake us. We belong to him forever. And if we belong to Him everything will be just fine no matter what.

Don't let your circumstances ruin your life or your witness. Let your witness to the calming, soothing, and peace giving Gospel run your life. Wake up in the morning with a cheerful heart knowing that your sins are paid for and forgiven. Go through your day smiling all the way as you remember that your sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus. Then, end your day with this prayer: "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. And this I ask for Jesus' sake. Amen."

Then wake up in the morning either happy that your sins are forgiven and you are ready to start a new day or completely happy and ultimately at peace knowing that you are in paradise with your friend and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. Jeremy Klaustermeier

To God All Praise and Glory!

DO YOU HAVE PEACE OR CONFUSED?

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

"And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Have you ever felt like Chicken Little, who knew that the sky was falling and tried to tell everyone but most weren't listening, others would just patronize him with a pat on the head, and still others would make fun of him behind his back?

Do you ever feel that way as a Christian? Your message is not so much that the sky is falling, but that Jesus is a solution or at least a remedy to the problems that people are facing? As Christians we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. We call Him our Savior. We try to tell others that if they would just put their faith and their trust in Jesus, that they would finally have a peace that passes all understanding. We try to tell people that their sins are forgiven by His death on the cross and that their place in heaven is secure by His resurrection from the dead, but they are too focused on the troubles of this life to realize the joy and the peace that are theirs by faith.

One of the verses that gives me comfort as a pastor is not necessarily a comforting verse. A couple days before He was to be betrayed, Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37 It gives me comfort, because as much as people don't always listen to me, even more did they not listen to Jesus. And He was God.

In the midst of this financial crisis, who knows what tomorrow holds? It sure isn't the financial wizards, they as much as have confessed so. They don't know what tomorrow brings anymore that you do. I'll tell you who does know. God does. In fact He tells us that there will be an end to all things. He alone knows what, where and when the end is.

So as long as we are putting our faith, our trust, and our hope in something or someone other than the one who knows all things and still loves us and cares for us, we are no different from the "Jerusalem" that Jesus speaks of here.

In a financial crisis such as we are experiencing the church can and must be a beacon of light and hope. It must be a place where people can come to find help. It has to be a place where people are turned to a true, lasting, and real hope, a hope not built on the shifting sands of this world, but a hope built on the solid foundation that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Still we as Christians need to be willing. If we want God to care for us, protect our spiritual welfare, and guide us through this tough time, we must be willing to come under His wing, His Word and Sacraments. We must be willing to give up our independence in spiritual matters, acting like we have it all together, and realize our sinfulness and stupidity so that Christ may finally take us under His wing of forgiveness, life, and salvation. If God is for us who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

Even if your 401 K has dwindled down to nothing, even if your business is on the verge of closing, even if you can't get a loan, don't have health insurance, and are on your last penny, you can have peace. I'm not saying that you will be physically comfortable or that you will even always have enough to eat. I am saying that your spirit, your soul will be at peace. It will be at peace as long as you believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

As a Christian, you know that this world is not the be all and end all of your life. You know that the end is only the beginning. You know that you can "rejoice in suffering, because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-4

My friends, this is a time of great rejoicing in Christianity. The fact that there a millions of Christians around the world and that are billions of saints already in heaven is a testament to the blessings of the Lord. Many more blessings are to come. As we look forward to an everlasting kingdom, let us be reminded daily of His love for us. Let us remind others of His love for us. Let us use ALL of our gifts to His glory, for His purposes, and to make disciples of all nations so that they may know the peace that passes all understanding just like we do! Can I get an Amen?

Rev. Jeremy Klaustermeir

To God All Praise and Glory!