The Defeat of Death!

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“I have set the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices.  Even my flesh will dwell securely because you will not abandon my life to the grave.  You will not let your favored one see decay.  You have made known to me the path of life, fullness of joy in your presence, pleasures at your right hand forever.” – Psalm 16:9-11

The Defeat of Death!

On April 10, 1912, in the north Atlantic, the Titanic struck an iceberg that would tragically and famously sink.  During its demise, a young Violet Jessup was ordered to a lifeboat.  The hope was that she could set an example, help calm fears, and demonstrate how to put lifejackets on safely.  She was even handed a baby to save!  

The year before the Titanic, she had served on the sister ship, the RMS Olympic, which suffered damage after a collision, and made it back to port.  And shortly after the Titanic, in 1916, in the midst of world war, she served on the hospital ship RMS Britannic.  This vessel would also face disaster.  It struck a German mine and sank in under 55 minutes.  Violet survived, at one point having to jump from her lifeboat as it was shredded by the large Britannic propellers.  

All of these events made Violet Jessup an exceptionally fortunate person.  God allowed her to dodge death on more than one occasion.

Would Jesus be so fortunate?  God’s plan for him would be different.  His goal was not to dodge death, but to face death and defeat death for our sake.  Psalm 16 was written by the inspired author David, but speaks to the life of Christ.  For example, in verse 5 the speaker remarks, “Lord, you are the cup that has been given to me.  You have secured an allotment for me.”  We may recall Jesus’ similar sounding prayer in the garden of Gethsemane as he makes ready to fulfill his heavenly Father’s will and to drink the cup of suffering before him.  

And yet Psalm 16 is often used in a celebration of the eternal life graciously given to us through Jesus’ work!  Both Peter in his Day of Pentecost sermon and Paul in the book of Acts, quote this psalm.  They both make a comparison: “David died…his tomb is over there…but God’s Anointed truly defeated death”.  Here is Jesus, the promised one from God who now resides in glory.  Our risen Savior now drinks from the cup of eternal joy.     He takes his rightful place upon the throne of David, no longer abandoned by his Father upon the cross extended, but lives today in eternal blessedness and in full control over his kingdom.  

And where Jesus goes, we will follow.  He has promised to return to take us there to be with him.  Just as his payment for our sin counted at the cross, so now his victory in eternity counts as ours as well.  David himself longed for that “fullness of joy in your presence, pleasures at your right hand forever.”  

Violet Jessup escaped the clutches of death again and again.  But she could not dodge death forever.  Neither can we, for like her, the wage of our sin is death.  And yet take heart!  As we walk through life, as we age gracefully or with illness upon illness, as we even face death itself – we need not be shaken.  For Jesus who has conquered death gives us the path of life and walks with us every step of the way.  This April we again marvel at the reality of his empty tomb and rejoice in word and song that “he is risen for me!”  May his good promises this Easter season make your heart glad as you rejoice in Jesus, the defeater of death and giver of life forever!  –Pastor David Horton

March Newsletter

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Pastor Walther

Psalm 103

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103)

Aristotle was still 600 years away from hypothesizing that the earth was round, and Galileo 2,200 years away from discovering that the earth revolved around the sun.  It would be three millennia before mankind finally left earth’s atmosphere and took to the stars.  And so, when David poetically spoke of east and west, he knew of no place where they ever met.  When he marveled at the heavens hanging over the earth, they would have forever seemed unreachable.  It led David to understand God’s love in a personal way.  Though his past was tainted by covetousness, theft, adultery, even murder!… still he lived with joy and not just guilt.  That’s because David saw he was still loved by God.  It’s what David expresses in Psalm 103:  God had removed his sin from him so completely that it was in a place that was literally impossible for David to get to.

It’s really no different today even when mankind has made it to space.  Our universe only stretches farther with every new invention that enables us to measure farther.  When the James Webb Telescope first went into operation to replace the Hubble Space Telescope, it famously fixed its eye on the deepest, darkest, most distant corner of the universe.  What did it find?  In a patch of sky that covers approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length, there were thousands of galaxies.  Each with millions of stars. 

Now take those most distant galaxies floating 13.5 billion light years away.  It would take approximately 200 billion human lifetimes strung one after the other to travel there!  Oh, and that’s assuming we discover a way to travel at the speed of light.  With our most powerful rockets right now?  Increase that number to 200 trillion human lifetimes.  And when the next telescope discovers things even more distant?  Yeah, you get the picture… and we haven’t even discussed going in the opposite direction!

God does the same for you and me also.  He places our sins in a place that is literally impossible for us to get to.  Jesus carried our sins to that distant place through his work on the cross as our scapegoat.  Then he returned back across that infinite void of death when he rose from the grave to restore life to us.  It’s why you can be certain God loves you.  He has removed every sin from you.  As far as the east from the west and the heavens above the earth.  

And Through the Starting Gate We Go!

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“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers.  But his delight is in the teaching of the Lord, and on his teaching he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaves do not wither.  Everything he does prospers.” – Psalm 1:1-3

And Through the Starting Gate We Go!

“And through the starting gate they go” will be a phrase we will hear often in just a few days.  The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will soon be underway in the mountains of northern Italy.  Olympians who compete in downhill skiing, bobsled, speed skating, and luge will all begin from starting points and race at furious speeds to the finish line.  It is what they have spent years, if not lifetimes, training to do.  It is their dream to win a medal at the games. 

It would also be a strange thing to see your favorite American olympian suddenly slow in their intensity, stop in their race entirely, or even had the audacity to sit down and chit-chat with the spectators.  We might wonder, what is going on?  What about all their training?  What happened to their focus?  Where is their heart?   What a disappointing spectacle that would be!

Through the starting gate we go this year into the book of Psalms!  And Psalm 1 begins with warning and encouragement.  For the people of God, both then and now, a danger existed to slow down, stop, and even sit in judgement upon God and his word.  Especially for those trained to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we are not immune to the temptation of slowing to a stop in our race of faith.  Such danger to our souls exists when we fill ourselves up with the values of the world.  If we drink from its vain reason and indulge in its destructive sins we may also find our pace towards heaven slowing down with deadly distractions.  We get bogged down with doubt, stand in defiance to our God, or even sit in criticism of God’s word.  Be on guard, dear believer, in your life of faith!  

As temptations abound, let’s continue to remain focused with the help of God the Holy Spirit to remain in his word!  Here there is a clear proclamation of forgiveness for the times we have been woefully negligent – even those times we have made a downright mockery out of what God has said.  Here there is payment for all of our sins in the ugly, yet necessary, cross of Jesus.  Here in the word we have the opportunity to cherish, meditate, and apply God’s will to our hearts.  Here we are rejuvenated by his grace in all areas of our life.  Here we are planted by God with a specific purpose in his kingdom.  Here our roots are deeply connected to Jesus and are nourished with his message of salvation.  And here we flourish with our Savior, bearing his name with fruit “that will endure”. 

As we begin this year, through the starting gate we go into the book of Psalms!  Even better than a medal, our end goal is to be home with the Lord in heaven.  God has made our end goal clear and accessible entirely through our Savior.  Knowing this, we can rejoice in the instruction, training, and hope given to our souls in his word.  Consider yourself blessed!  On into 2026 we go with Jesus!    

-Pastor David Horton

As Strong or as Stubborn as an Ox?

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Pastor Nate Walther

“As Strong as an Ox.” It’s a saying we have for people who are really strong, and one I especially appreciate after living in North Dakota and serving ranchers. Once cattle have it in mind that they are headed in a particular direction? They are not easily stopped. Likewise, the men who wrangle such steers? Pound-for-pound the strongest guys I’ve ever encountered.


It’s an image that adds color to certain words of Scripture, but words that are not so complementary. Several times throughout his Word, God calls his people “stiff-necked and stubborn” when they have rebelled against him. The picture behind these words is that of an ox headed in one direction, who will not turn even when you try to lead him.


How often do our sins leave us “stiff-necked and stubborn”? Just like a stiff neck that grows worse every hour you sleep on wrong, so also is our stubbornness with every sin to which we succumb. The more we tread the same path, the more easily we walk in that same groove. And we’d like to think that we can break out of it at any time! Yet how strongly does our sin have a hold on us?


It’s why we needed help from someone who didn’t once veer into the cascading path of sin where one evil leads to a million. Someone as “strong as an ox”, at least compared to us, but who would only head in the right direction. And just like oxen were sometimes used for burnt (or, “whole”) offerings on Israel’s altars, which was supposed to represent total and complete dedication to the Lord, Jesus was the burnt offering that finally got the job done God’s way, without any blemish or defect.


Thank God for the strength Jesus has as our Savior from sin! Now, with Christ’s strength, we can now find the strength to walk like an ox, but not in a stubborn or stiff-necked way. Rather, the more we follow Christ’s Word and tread that path, the more strongly we will be able to remain on God’s path.

Let’s Go Fishing with Jesus!

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As Jesus was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.  – Mark 1:16-18

Let’s Go Fishing with Jesus!

The elusive musky was out there.  While growing up, my family had summer vacations at a lake in northern Wisconsin just outside of Eagle River.  The lake contained plenty of fish: perch, bluegill, and walleye.  The lake also had large muskies waiting to be caught.  Family members had landed them and I had seen one follow our lure all the way up to the side of the boat, but this trophy-fish had always escaped me.  Once, during dusk, I had a musky on the line.  It was lurking under the resort’s floating raft.  Unfortunately, it snapped the line just before we were able to get it into a net.  

Thankfully, fishing wasn’t my day job as it was for so many of the disciples.  Fishing was more than sport for them, it provided them with food and income.  In the gospels we find a good number of Jesus’ miracles in and around the Sea of Galilee involving fish.  Remember how the coin was found in the mouth of a fish, the unexpected large catch of fish, and the feeding of the 5000 all highlighted God’s will to provide what is necessary to sustain our lives.  

Fish are used in teachable moments throughout the Old Testament as well.  We find God undertaking great miraculous acts to save Jonah with a large fish.  In words of warning in Isaiah 50, God is able to make the rivers and seas dry up as the smell of dead fish serves as a sign of judgement upon the land.  And, in Ezekiel 47, life-giving water flowed freely from the temple into areas otherwise dead.  And in that water graciously given from God?  Large numbers of fish!  A picture of the abundance of God’s good blessings given to us both physically and spiritually.  

Such blessings to our faith are found in the saving work and living gospel of our Savior – which brings us full circle to Jesus and those fishermen on the shores of Galilee.  Called by Christ, these average Joes (who for the most part are largely unknowns), would become fishers of people.  Casting the nets of Jesus and his Word out into the sea of humanity, God will use his saving truth to convert and bring souls into his eternal kingdom.  

This is important work for both pastor and parishioner!  What an important job Jesus gives us to do!  And yet, so often we are fishing in life for things that serve me instead of him, aren’t we?  We fish for earthly wealth, security, comfort, and the praise of men.  God the Holy Spirit helps us cut those lines and serve Christ selflessly for the eternal good of others.  For when we are caught in the Word, then we are kept close to Jesus and have peace in his promises.  Our Savior wills this for us and for many more people to hear and believe and be saved.

It’s no wonder the early Christians used the symbol of a fish to identify one another in times of persecution.  Big fish, small fish, fish of all different kinds and in all different places: Jesus loves, values, and has saved human souls.  With this in mind and with help from God, let’s go fishing for people with Jesus!  

Heed the Donkey’s Wisdom

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Author: Pastor Walther

If someone refers to you as a donkey – and they probably don’t say it quite like that – it’s not a compliment!  What’s even worse is when you find yourself corrected by a donkey.

In Bible times a man named Balaam found himself in that position.  He had been hired by the Moabites to curse the nation of Israel when they came out of the wilderness to settle in the land of Cannan.  It probably started like any other job where Balaam thought he could outwit whatever god he found himself up against that day.  But this time he was not just up against sticks or stones. He was up against the only true God who has ever existed.

Perhaps you remember the story.  Balaam is trying to make his way to the Israelites, but his donkey continues to see the angel of the Lord standing in their way, whom Balaam cannot see.  Even this dumb animal knows it isn’t wise to press on, so it progressively seeks to avoid the Lord: first taking another path, then crushing Balaam’s foot against the wall to pass by the angel, and finally laying down in the road when there was no room to pass – each reaction prompting Balaam to beat this poor animal!

That’s when the Lord allows the donkey to speak, “What have I done to make you beat me these three times?”  Balaam is not about to be spoken down to by a donkey, so he threatens to kill it.  Then his donkey – a donkey, of all creatures! – tries to reason with him.  “Have I ever done this before?  Of course not!”, hinting there was something different going on… and the Lord used that to open Balaam’s eyes.  He saw the angel of the Lord, and he fell face down. 

I am ashamed to ask, how often is Balaam me?  Recklessly going before the Lord – against the Lord and what he wants! – yet I don’t see it as such.  Like Balaam I think I can bend the Lord to my will, and I miss entirely when he stands opposed to me.  It should be the end of me, especially when the behavior of others– let’s call them “donkeys” – puts me to shame!  I should know so much better as a pastor, as a Christian husband & dad, as a life-long Lutheran.  You should too. Yet it’s the unbelievers, the sinners, and the outcasts who show us up.  Only a merciful God could erase such ugly sin.

He does.  Consider Balaam.  It seems almost impossible that two chapters later God would speak through his mouth one of famous prophecies of the Christmas season, yet Balaam says,  “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.  A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” (Numbers 24:17)  This prophecy reminds us that God forgives this same sin of ours through the star who rose from the nation of Jacob, the Christ child who shines light into our dark world, who reigns as a different kind of king.  Like he did with Balaam, God puts these same saving words in our ears and on our tongues.

The rest of the Bible hints that Balaam’s story ended tragically.  Though he spoke the very Word of God, he did not turn to the Lord in repentance and faith.  God prevent that from happening to us!  When God mercifully causes dumb donkeys – of all people – to speak reason and wisdom to us, wake up and see him in your path!  Then be humbled, repent of sin, find forgiveness in Christ, and live life differently. Amen.

A Dove from Above

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After Jesus was baptized, he immediately went up out of the water.  Suddenly, the heavens were opened for him!  He saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and landing on him, and a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him.”  – Matthew 3:16-17

A Dove from Above

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Over the past few months there has been a lot of attention on Vatican City with the election of a new pope.  Inside of Vatican City rests St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church on earth.  And inside St. Peter’s Basilica, according to church tradition, one might find the remains of Saint Peter.  The impressive altar area includes a large Bernini sculpture.  And, within that creation, a central picture made out of transparent stone rises high above the work.  The image?  A dove from above.  With an end-to-end wingspan of six feet in length, focal acknowledgement is given within the artwork to the direction the Holy Spirit provides.  

And yet God the Holy Spirit needs neither the large church nor the most elaborate altar area from which to operate.  He often works through the humble and gentle whisper of gospel truth.  We find doves in the Bible representing such characteristics.  In the Old Testament, you may remember Noah sending out a dove from the ark which had been perched upon the mountains of Ararat.  And that the dove returned on its second trip with an olive branch – a sign of the receding floodwaters and peace after catastrophe.  Turtledoves were an acceptable offering for the poor in the book of Leviticus.  A reminder that God still provides for the lowly as he cares for even his downtrodden children.  And in Isaiah 60:8 we hear, “Who are these who fly along like a cloud, who fly like doves to their coops?”  This famous chapter highlights the work of our Redeemer Jesus, who breaks the natural darkness of a sinful world and shines his glory across the face of the earth.  The joyful soaring of the dove is part of the big picture as nature finds salvation, hope, and restoration in the Lord.

And certainly we find God the Holy Spirit’s presence and approval at the baptism of Jesus.  Here was the moment our Savior would begin his earthly ministry.  A mission that would win for us salvation at his cross and give us life through his rising from the grave.  The Triune God was there in that moment in glorious display.  The Father announced his Son and encouraged the world to hear Jesus’ words of life.  And the Holy Spirit descended as the dove from above.  His work would give peace and reconciliation to the world through the words and work of Christ.  What a moment!  And what a blessing for you and I still today!

For many of us, we won’t be in big European cathedrals this summer, but we may be in the grandeur of nature.  As stroll about, taking in even the birds of the air, think for a moment on this Biblical picture of a dove.  Remember the Triune God’s plan to win and secure your eternal life.  And rejoice that one day, we will get to be home with our Lord in heaven – a home far greater than the prettiest church or grandest scene in nature.  Heaven is yours all thanks to Jesus.

June 2025 Newsletter

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Author: Pastor Horton

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”    John 3:14-15

The Snake, an Unexpected Animal

My first parsonage was located on the edge of town in the Minnesota River Valley.  It was beautiful, but it was also filled with snakes.  There were small and colorful garter snakes as well as large bull snakes which were harmless  – even though they closely resembled rattlesnakes.  The cool basement block of the parsonage attracted them during the hot summers.  And more than once I opened the front door only to startle a snake and have it slither quickly away.  Each time I ran into a snake it was unexpected.

Certainly the serpent found in Genesis 3 was unexpected.   Perhaps its function and ability to speak was unexpected to Adam.  Regardless, the content of its message was absolutely unexpected, catching Adam and Eve off guard.  The devil operated through such an animal to question and then to challenge God.  Such temptations led humans into the first sequences of sin and the grim reality of death.

In our passage for today, we find Jesus, referencing a different account involving snakes.  The children of Israel grumbled against Moses and in so doing grumbled against God.  Their punishment involved an outbreak of venomous snakes in the camp.  More than a threat, people were bitten and died.  But they also understood and applied the severity of this lesson.  They repented, asking both Moses and the Lord for forgiveness.  God’s solution?  Help would come in the form of a bronze snake lifted up before the eyes of the people that all who looked upon it would live.

This was God’s gracious act to save.  His gracious act to save us through Jesus was also unexpected.  We have only earned death for our sins.  And yet look at what God does for you and for me who are so often sinfully rebellious to him!  He sent Jesus, who, in our verse for today, foreshadowed his wonderfully unexpected work of winning our salvation.  For just as the bronze snake was lifted up before the eyes of the people – Jesus himself would be lifted up on a cross for all of humanity.  All who looked upon him by faith were saved!  Thankfully, God the Holy Spirit has helped us to hear and to see God’s wonderfully unexpected gospel actions which save us from our sins and to give us life with him both now and forever.   

If you happen to bump into a snake this summer in your adventures you may be alarmed.  It may be an unexpected meeting.  Remember the first fall into sin.  But remember also Jesus’ wonderfully unexpected promise and fulfillment to be lifted high on the cross and remove sin and death for us.  Through him we have life.  Let’s live this summer to his glory!

May Newsletter

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“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. ” – Revelation 5:12

Worthy is the Lamb!

This time of year has been called many things as the spring warms into the summer.  Graduation Season.  Wedding Season.  Cake Season.  Road Construction Season.  Mosquito Season.  But at this time of year we could add one more: Sheep Season.  

We are familiar with the picture of the sheep.  Every spring, on the fourth Sunday after Easter, congregations across our fellowship celebrate Jesus, the Great Shepherd, who tends to and who cares for you and I, his sheep.  The words and hymns of praise that flow from this Biblical imagery are of the greatest comfort to a believer.  We hear Jesus speak in John 10 of the close relationship he has with each of us as he leads us home to the perfect pastures of heavenly contentment.  Psalm 23 resonates in our worship as we know our Shepherd keeps us close to him through life’s troubling valleys.  We hear God declare it in Ezekiel 30:31, “You are my flock of sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and you are my people, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

We are familiar with sheep from Israel’s Old Testament worship life.  Essentially a form of currency, Scriptures tell us that the altars of Israel received numerous sheep, rams, and ewes over the years as sacrifices.  According to the ceremonial laws given at Mt. Sinai, these animals were sacrificed regularly as part of the burnt offerings, peace offerings, and sin offerings.  Their innocent blood shed was a shadow of things to come – pointing ahead to the sacrifice made by Christ Jesus once and for all on the cross.

Another focal point is one that often gets less attention in our worship life. That is the picture of the Lamb from Revelation.  But it is one that is important as our faith looks forward to eternity.  This Lamb appears slain in Revelation 5:6.  Hebrews 10:10 tells us more when it says “by this (God’s) will, we have been sanctified once and for all, through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ.”  Our Savior’s sacrifice as the Lamb of God gives us forgiveness and reconciliation with our Father in heaven.  The Lamb’s saving work is evident throughout the book of Revelation.  Through this Lamb we have been given victory over the devil (Rev 12:11).  Through this Lamb we will have a heavenly home and all we need for eternity (Rev 21:23).  Through this Lamb our names have been written in his Book of Life (Rev 21:27).

Go ahead and celebrate this season, for it is also the Season of the Sheep!  Worthy is the Lamb!

Eagles Soar in the Bible!

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“Young men grow tired and become weary.  Even strong men stumble and fall.  But those who wait for the Lord will receive new strength.  They will lift up their wings and soar like eagles.  They will run and not become weary.  They will walk and not become tired.” 

– Isaiah 40:30-31

Eagles Soar in the Bible!

I don’t know if it still is there, but as I waited in line to ride the Wild Eagle Roller Coaster at Dollywood in Tennessee, there in giant mural form was this passage from the book of Isaiah.  Owned in part by singer Dolly Parton, she shared her faith in a unique way.  The roller coaster cars are designed to look like eagles, and with feet dangling in the air, passengers ride on the eagle’s wings.  A fun picture, but one that highlights God’s great love and providence.  

In nature, eagles are rare.  In 2017 they officially came off the endangered species list.  When we see one it is special.  They are large, swift, powerful birds of the air with wings over four feet who soar in a majestic manner.  For this reason we sometimes find them as a picture of regal capabilities.  Nebucadnezzer’s kingdom was compared to a lion with eagles’ wings in Daniel 7. 

They are also found in connection to our God, the King of kings upon his throne in heaven.  Eagles, sometimes translated as vultures, act in prophetic judgment by feeding on those who dare to mock God in more than one place in Scriptures.  The woman of Revelation 12, often thought of as a symbol for the church, was persecuted by the dragon and “two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman” so that she might escape and be safe.  We find God delivering his people from the Egyptians in Exodus 19 and protecting them in Deuteronomy 32 with the swift and decisive power of the eagle.  God says “‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

And now in our passage from Isaiah we find the eternal God giving us life, zeal, and hope through his word.  He renews our spirits.  He restores our souls.  He has forgiven us our sins through Jesus.  He helps us live for him.  Even when we grow old or feel weak, he is strong and he can help.  Thanks to the saving gift of faith in Jesus, we are lifted up and as believers soar as if you and I were seated on the wings of eagles.  And the focus of our faith?  One day we will get to do more than fly in the sky, we will get to soar to heaven and be with our Lord forever!  Thank you Lord Jesus!