Dear Friends in the Risen Lord:

Every morning – when I turn on my computer – I wonder, “How much worse is the news going to be today than it was yesterday?”  How many more confirmed corona virus cases will there be?  How many more people will have died?  What kind of greater precautions will we need to take, and what kind of greater restrictions will be placed upon us?  How much more will the stock market plunge?

In the midst of all this, we need encouragement, a source of strength, and hope.  What greater source of encouragement, strength, and hope could we have – and could we be able to share – than the good news that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead?  He is with us in our struggles, and He has defeated our greatest enemies – sin, death, and the power of the devil.

I would like to share with you four sources of strength and hope from the account of the Israelites’ crossing the Jordan River on their way to the Promised Land, as recorded in the early chapters of the book of Joshua. 

First, in Joshua 1: 2 the Lord said to Joshua, “My servant Moses is dead; now proceed to cross the Jordan.”  The Lord did not say, “Moses is dead; you might as well give up.”  Nor did He say, “Moses is dead; so why not go back to Egypt.”  “Moses is dead; it will never be the same again.” Or “Moses is dead; what hope do you have now?”  Rather the Lord said, “Moses is dead; now proceed to cross the Jordan.” 

We have heard it said over and over again.  We are living in unprecedented times.  We were not prepared for this, nor did we see it coming.  We do not know how long it will last or what life will be like after it is over.  We know it will be different, but we do not know how it will be different.  In many ways Moses is dead.  The realities, resources, and support systems that we had been counting on no longer exist.  And they disappeared so quickly.  But just as God said, “Moses is dead; now proceed to cross the Jordan,” so God is saying to us, “Life will be different, but it is not over.”  With God’s presence and power – with the hope of the resurrection – we will be able to get through this.  One year from now we will be able to look back and say, “God is good, and He saw us through.”  Moses may be dead, but we still need to and we still can cross the Jordan. 

Second, three times in the first nine verses of Joshua 1 God says, “Be strong and courageous.”  In verse 6, verse 7, and verse 9.  “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

It would be very easy today to be frightened and dismayed.  We have many, very valid reasons to be frightened and dismayed.  Just like the disciples of Jesus, on the evening of Good Friday, had many, very valid reasons to be frightened and dismayed. 

But the angel told the women who came early on Easter Sunday morning to the tomb, “Do not be afraid.  I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here.  He has been raised.  Come, see the place where He lay.  Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has been raised from the dead.”  (Matthew 28: 5-7)  So we, too, need to see the place where He lay.  We, too, need to see that the tomb is empty.  Then we, too, need to go quickly and tell people that He has been raised from the dead.  This year – during the upcoming Holy Week season – may God give you even more strength of conviction and mountain-moving faith, so that you will be able to believe with power and with boldness, “Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead.”

Third, in Joshua 3: 2-4 we read that the leaders of Israel went through the camp and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord our God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place.  Follow it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before.” 

What do we need the most as we go through a national and global crisis unlike any we have experienced before?  We need to know that God is with us and that He goes before us, “for (we) have not passed this way before.”  I remember a poster I had on my wall in my dorm room in college.  It showed a mushroom cloud from an atomic explosion.  It asked the question, “Is there a future?”  It gave an answer from God.  “Yes, I am already there.”

Paul describes Jesus as “the first born from the dead.”  Jesus has already gone through the experience of death ahead of us.  And He has broken the power of death over us.  Therefore, “nothing in all of creation” – and that includes the corona virus – “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8: 39)

Fourth, Joshua 3: 15-16 tell us that “when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still . . . while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off,” so the people were able to cross over on dry ground. 

There was a miraculous crossing of a body of water at the beginning of the time of leadership of Moses (the Red Sea), and there was a miraculous crossing of a body of water at the beginning of the time of leadership of Joshua (the Jordan River).  But there is a significant difference between the two.  In the case of Moses and the Red Sea, God sent a strong east wind that blew all night.  In the morning there was a dry path. The people did not need to step into the sea until they had a dry path.  In the case of Joshua and the Jordan River, somebody had to step into the water first before the flow of the river stopped and a dry path became available.

I know that I, for one, would like to have a dry path before I have to step in.  But that is not the way it always goes.  It sure would be good to know how this pandemic will end and how long it will last, but at this point we do not know.  But still we need to step in, take necessary precautions, help those who are most vulnerable, and see this time as an opportune time to show the kind of courage and compassion that Christ can give. 

I remember several years ago a woman who was very close to dying from cancer read the lessons on Easter Sunday.  Never before had those Scriptures passages spoken so strongly to me as they did that day as they were being read by someone who would soon be dying and who believed with all her heart that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

This Easter season may your faith in Jesus be even bolder, your hope in Jesus be even greater, and your love for Jesus be even stronger.

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
dennisdnelsonaz@yahoo.com
909-274-8591

P.S.

Our prayers are with all confessional Lutheran pastors as you find and develop ways to stay connected with your congregations, give your people hope, courage, and strength, and reach out to your communities during these most unusual times.  On our website you can find a list of some congregations that are livestreaming and/or posting recordings of their worship services.  A link to that list can be found here.  Please let me know if you would like to be added to that list.

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one individually just as He wills.  For even as the body is one and yet has many
members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body,
so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:11-12).

It is the
Lord who is the Savior.  It is the Lord
who works all things together.  Do not
envy what the Lord grants to another, but rejoice that the Lord is working
through those whom He has graced.  We are
called out of the nonsense of this world to the goodness of the Lord.  Wait upon the Lord and He will work through
you that which is pleasing in His sight according to His goodness.

Lord, lead me to turn to You and not the the world.  You have come that we might have life and
have it abundantly.  Be the One who
guides that no other would come puffed up and stir Your sheep in the wrong
direction.  Help each of us to see that
it is You who does all things and that only through You and according to Your
will can any good things come.  Keep our
eyes upon You.

Lord Jesus,
You have sent the Spirit to guide us from the inside out.  Lead me, O Lord, that I may be directed by
You and no other.  Renew my mind and help
me to have the attitude You would have in every situation.  Guide me according to Your purpose.  Help me see that I am gifted for the time and
place according to the Father’s good pleasure. 
In all things, teach me to rejoice that You have overcome the world.  Amen.

“To another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts
of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to
another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another
various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues” (1
Corinthians 12:10-11).

The Spirit
of God moves where He will and does what needs to be done for the
faithful.  The Spirit works in and
through those who are willing to come into the Christ-life that is granted by
grace.  Come then into the life to which
you were initiated through your baptism that the Spirit may work in you that
which is well pleasing in the Father’s sight.

Holy Spirit, You are with me to guide me in all of my
ways.  Let me not focus upon what You do
but upon the truth that You are working in me. 
Guide me according to Your goodness to see that in You alone is all the
hope we need.  Do as You will, for You
are God and I am called as Your servant. 
Guide me and keep me from the temptation to think that it is the other
way round.

Holy Spirit,
You know what is needed not only for me, but for those who are around me.  Lead me in Your goodness to see that in You
alone is the hope for guiding me and those who live by faith.  Teach me to be willing to submit to Your
prompting that no matter what You choose to do through me I would rejoice and
be glad to be a part of Your kingdom. 
Guide me as I need to be guided and let me give thanks for Your
influence in my life.  Amen.

“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit
for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit,
and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit” (1
Corinthians 12:7-8)

The Holy
Spirit is the One who guides and directs us. Insofar as it helps, use the
guidance of others, but do not make the mistake of thinking that they are the
ones leading. Just as there is One Lord, there is One Spirit who unites us in
the One Lord, Jesus Christ. Come then into the Holy Spirit’s leading and go as
the Spirit leads that You may live into the life to which You have been called
by grace.

This world is filled with ideas about how to live life. We
have teachers and those who guide, but there is only One Spirit who has been
given that we might live in the unity the Lord is creating by grace. Do not
seek after what will tickle your ears, but come as the Spirit leads into the
faith given once for all. The gifts of the Spirit will come as the Lord directs
and according to His will.

There are
many conflicts in my mind and practice. Come Holy Spirit and kindle in me the
heart of Jesus that I would live into the life for which You are directing me. Let
nothing hinder Your guidance in my life that I may now and always abide in the
truth of Your presence and be led by You in all things. May I not live just for
myself, but be led by You in all things to the glory of the Father. Amen.

“And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There
are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons”
(1 Corinthians 12:5-6).

The Lord
created each person according to His purpose. We are not all the same, nor are
we to imagine anything other than that we are to be conformed to the image of
Christ. Do not be deceived, it is the Lord who builds the house. If it is not
the Lord, then it is in vain. Come into the Lord’s presence and be led by the
Holy Spirit that you may live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

Lord, we so often want to categorize things and make plans. Help
me to return today and every day to You that I may be led as You lead. Guide me
that I may walk in Your purpose and live as You have designed me to live. May I
no longer resist Your direction, but come willingly into Your presence and
dwell with You and You with me. Help me to hear and obey that I would learn to
be faithful.

Lord, guide
me according to Your eternal plan which You have revealed by grace and through
faith. Enlighten me by the power of Your Spirit that I may grow in the grace
You have given me. In all things, may I see that it is You who works all things
together according to Your purpose and live into the life to which You have
called me, doing all this to Your glory. Amen.

“Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the
Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”
except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3-4).

The greatest
gift is the awakening that comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit in which one
knows that Jesus is Lord. Those who curse the Lord do not even know whom they
are cursing. Walk in the gift you have received and know that in the Lord alone
is all hope and the fulfilment of His promises. Be guided by the One who saves
and listen as the Spirit speaks.

Lord, You are speaking to me and I am often confused by the
things of this world. Guide me in the way of truth that I may now and always
listen to what You have to say. Lead me in Your goodness and cause my eyes to
be opened to the way of the world which tugs at me to do other than what You
are teaching me. In You alone is the hope for all people and apart from You is
the continued rebellion.

Holy Spirit,
You have awakened me to the truth that You are God and there is no other. You
know my heart, for You have searched it. You know the direction I need to go. Lead
me in the truth of Your word that I may now and always abide in You as You
abide in me. You know the direction I need to go and You have already prepared
the way. Guide me according to Your will to walk as You lead. Amen.

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led” (1 Corinthians 12:1-2).

Concerning
how the Holy Spirit works in our lives, we ought not be unaware. The Spirit
moves where it will and always for the sake of all that needs to happen. Walk
in the ways of the Spirit and know that the Lord is always with You. Be guided
by God’s goodness and do not stray back to the ways of the wicked. Live into
the promise which is yours through the grace of Christ.

Holy Spirit, lead me in the ways I should go. Remove from me the hindrances that keep me away from godliness and holiness. Help me now and always to be clear in action and precise in thought. In all things, never let me forget that it is You who must lead me. This world is constantly calling me back to itself. Keep my thoughts and deeds clear and true to the calling You give.

Lord Jesus, You came not only as the One through whom grace is possible, but also as the model of the godly life. Lead me, Lord, according to all that You have taught that I may walk in the light and be guided day by day into the life to which I am being called. Guide me according to the Father’s will to see the foolishness of this world and live for that which lasts. Amen

“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in
adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him,
“Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.” (John
8:3,4)

We love to
catch others sinning as if it were some kind of novelty rather than the rule of
our sinful existence. We love to lift up the sins we do not commit as the ones
that are especially heinous. Then we love to go to the Lord and show that we
are better because we are not that kind of sinner.

Lord, help me see that any and all sin pits me against You
and, in effect, causes me to nail You to the cross once again. Grant that I
would truly see the travesty in every sin and not get caught up in the game of
separating sins. Help me also have compassion, as You have compassion, on
everyone caught up in sin.

Thank You, Lord
Jesus, for responding to every sin by dying on the cross for us. Help me see
that reconciliation is always better than retaliation. Grant that I would live
into a life that is like Yours in every way, reacting in wisdom to situations
as You do, beginning with today. Grant that I live out compassion and mercy
this day in Your Name. Amen.

This is a list of confessional and orthodox congregations who are livestreaming or recording their church services.

• If you would like your church to be added to the list, please email lcorewebmail@gmail.com

To view the letter CORE’s Executive Director, Dennis Nelson, has sent about this list, click the button below.

In addition to our partial pan-Lutheran list below, the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) has an amazing list of NALC church services: click button below.

Among the people whom CORE especially want to serve through this ministry are:

• Lay people whose congregations are not livestreaming their services
• Lay people who are members of congregations that are not confessional and orthodox

“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning
He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He
sat down and began to teach them. “ (John 8:1,2)

Jesus
attracts people to Himself. As many as are willing, He will draw them to
Himself and teach them. It is no different today. You who have faith simply
express that faith in daily living, reading Scripture, listening to the Lord,
growing and understanding more about the eternal will of God the Father.

Lord, like other sinners, I resist doing what I know is right and therefore agree with Paul that I do not do as I ought, but do the very thing I hate, agreeing with the law. Help me, I pray, to learn how to be still, sit down with You and know that You are God. Grant that I would change my habits to include time with You.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for always taking time with Your disciples. Take time with me today and help me to take time with You that I may learn and grow. By Your example, help me to take time with others that they may learn as I share with them what You have taught me through Your Word. May You be glorified this day through me. Amen.