 Faithful to the Word ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’ Numbers 24:1 One of the truly intriguing stories of the Old Testament that many of us know from our Sunday School days is that of Balaam in Numbers 22-24. Most famously and memorably it contains a talking ass but also a marvelous prophecy of Christ (24:17). For today though I would like to focus on the lesson of being faithful in speaking God’s Word. The context of Numbers 22-24 is Moses leading Israel to the Promised Land. The nations, having heard of Israel being brought out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, are terrified of Israel and try to prevent her from passing through their lands. When direct conflict does not stop Israel, Balak, king of Moab, decides to use spiritual warfare and seeks to hire Balaam the soothsayer to curse Israel. Balaam is not a part of the covenant people of God but somehow is acquainted with the LORD. God came to Balaam and when he heard that Balak was asking Balaam to curse Israel the LORD refused. Israel is blessed by me, you cannot curse her. Balaam had received a clear answer from the LORD and yet King Balak was intent on cursing Israel. He increased his offer of honor and wealth to entice Balaam to do the job. This was a great temptation for certainly the offer to do a job on this scale was substantial. Although the answer had been clear and the matter should have been settled, Balaam entertained the second offer and determined to go back to the LORD to ask again. Surprisingly, God permitted Balaam to go to Balak although he again prohibited him from speaking anything but what the LORD gave to him. Why? Well, certainly to teach him the lesson that would come through the talking ass, but also to place into his mouth the words of prophecy regarding the Christ in chapter 24:17. God uses even our obstinance to accomplish his will. This account alerts us to the tempting power of personal recognition and worldly wealth. We could certainly commend Balaam for listening to God and refusing to curse Israel but at the same time it is pretty evident that his heart wasn’t really in it. He was hoping to make that hefty profit. Maybe there was a way around what God had said. Maybe if he asked again or pressured God to change his mind he could get what he wanted. Maybe he could even find a loophole. The point is that we face the same kind of temptations that Balaam did. God speaks very clearly to us in the Scriptures. We hear it and believe it. But then for popularity, recognition, or the sake of worldly wealth we are tempted look for a loophole or way around.
Jesus, the scepter that came out of Jacob spoken of by Balaam (24:17), was and is always true to the Word that God gave him. He did not come to do his own will or go beyond the word of the LORD, but simply to speak what the LORD speaks. In fact, he is the Word of God faithful and true. He was tempted to find a way around God’s word. Recall the temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Shown all the kingdoms of the world Satan tempted, “All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.” But Jesus understood God’s will for gaining the world was the cross. It was not an easy way but it was God’s way, the only way. The treasure was to be found in his death and resurrection and in the redemption of people that would result. Redeemed by Christ in the waters of baptism and living by faith we are his blessed people. Like Israel when we are blessed by the LORD no one can effectively curse us. When we are blessed in Christ we have all things. So, what can we gain by not speaking what God speaks or not faithfully clinging to the Word? Thanks be to God for this gracious Word. May we learn from Balaam’s temptation, stand firm on God’s Word, and avoid the need for things such as talking animals to teach us. A Special Addition Initially I submitted this Bishop’s Blast the Saturday morning of the assignation attempt. On Sunday I was with the people of Zion, Westwood for an Official Visit and given the opportunity to address the congregation regarding the events. Below are essentially the thoughts I shared with them. I include them here as a late addition for your edification and encouragement. Saturday was a very sad day in our lives and the history of our country. First our prayers are for the victims of the attack and their families; person killed, the two people injured, and our former President. Our hearts go out to the families of these people and especially to the family of the one who died. We are thankful that former President, Donald Trump was spared and is recovering well. We don't know the motives of the perpetrator but we know that a lack of faith is involved. Faith trusts God and that he is in control. Even when things are not going as we would like or the world feels out of control we are to trust God and not take matters into our own hands. We are not to rationalize away God's prohibition against violence in the 5th Commandment or for that matter any of his commands. In all circumstances the love of Christ compels us to love others, live within the confines of God's laws, and be good citizens. Where we have been weak as a country we ask the Lord to have mercy and forgive us, call us to repentance, and guide us in the ways of righteousness. May we remember the words of Micah 6:8 “and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Let us pray. P: Heavenly Father we thank you for our country in which we have been given so many freedoms and especially the freedom to gather and worship you. Preserve our country and these freedoms that we might honor you. Lord, C: have mercy P: Be with those who are the victims of this terrible act. Grant to them physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Lord, C: have mercy. P: Remember your church. Preserve her and enable the gospel of the love of Christ to shine brightly through us that others might see the example of Christ, be brought to faith in Christ, and live in love toward others. Lord, C: have mercy. P: Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. C: Amen. Visitation for Convention Resolution Evaluation A few more congregations have completed or scheduled a Convention Resolution Visitation. Feedback from these visits has been positive with congregations growing in their knowledge and appreciation of the work of the Synod as well as discovering resources available to them. Opportunity for one of these visits will soon end. If you have not had one yet and have not been contacted about scheduling a visit please let me know. I don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with the District and Synod. NJ March for Life  The NJ March for Life is only 2 months away (September 26th)! Not surprisingly, not many have indicated an interest in attending. After all it is summer and there is still time to decide and make plans. But as you have opportunity please let me know at the District Office if there will be a group or individual attending from your church. We will want to make arrangements to meet together at the rally. If you have never experienced one of these events I encourage you to do so. It is a very orderly and respectful event but also one that makes a statement about Life. You are encouraged to participate and experience this event. Participants will gather at the State House for the Rally (inspirational speeches) at 11:00 am. The March begins at noon. Parking will be at a premium so we are encouraging people to carpool to the Quakerbridge Mall or other Trenton area mass transit site and catch the bus into Trenton for the festivities. Strategic Plan Our Task Forces for the new Strategic Plan have been meeting by Zoom and in person this summer. Their objective is to write goal statements for each of their Task Force goals. They are also working on next steps to create a pathway to accomplish each goal. Our intention is to have the Strategic Plan completed by fall and ready to be enacted soon afterwards. This plan will be able to guide us for the next triennium (2025-2028). As a reminder, three Task Forces have been established to work on three of the four target areas of the plan. Each Task Force has a VP, a Board Representative, and other people from our churches, some clergy, some lay. There are four parts (target areas) to the strategic plan:
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Newark Closes On Sunday July 7th the closing service for Redeemer Lutheran Church was held at 3:00 pm. While we are sad that the ministry of Redeemer has come to a close, we rejoice that Christ Assembly has taken up the mantle of ministry in that place. The building and all remaining assets of Redeemer have been transferred to Christ Assembly. Pray for God’s blessing on the continuance of ministry in Newark.  Pastor Zolue and members of Christ Assembly present Jeanne Van Steen, member of Redeemer, with a token of appreciation.  Participants at the Closing Service of Redeemer, Newark Congregations
District Short Clips Lutheran Campus Ministry at Rutgers (LCMR). The NJD in partnership with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Somerset will be starting a Lutheran campus ministry at Rutgers University this summer. Pastor Greg Jans, who has accepted the call to Holy Trinity, has already started working on this new ministry. The ministry has been officially registered with the University and the LCMS. Visits have been made to the Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC offices to see how LCMR can be of service to those in the ROTC program (Pastor Jans is a retired Lt. Colonel Chaplain in the USAF). Parents, Pastors and others are highly encouraged to give the contact information of their child or parishioner or acquaintance who is attending Rutgers to Pastor Jans for follow up. Temporarily names and contact information for this ministry can be routed through the District Office at [email protected]. We already have a small number interested in participating. For more information please see the separate article in this edition of the Grapevine. Christian Heritage Endowment Fund (CHEF). Twice a year CHEF awards ministry grants to NJD congregations who apply. The next application deadline is August 15th. Grants are given for outreach ministry, leadership development, technology, and access for those with disabilities. Applications are available on the District website and questions can be answered by calling the District Office. District Convention 2025. Letters announcing the 2025 District Convention were sent to each congregation earlier this month. We will be gathering on July 12-14 at the Crowne Plaza, Edison for the convention. Thursday will feature late afternoon or evening registration and a time of fellowship in the evening. Opening gavel will be on Friday morning with business finishing on Saturday around noon. Those attending can expect Bible Study, worship reports from our District staff and Councils as well as a special guest representative from Synod. Congregations should elect a lay delegate this fall since registration will happen in January. National Youth Gathering. Congregations and individuals who are intending to go to the National Youth Gathering July 19-23, 2025 in New Orleans should be well into the planning process and getting their registration forms ready. Hope Dunbar is our NJ District NYG Coordinator, [email protected]. She is happy to help you with questions or information about the Gathering and registration. In addition, if you are a congregational youth worker and have a group attending the Gathering please let Hope know. She will make sure your youth are included in any information dissemination or District events at the Gathering. Official Visits. Invitations for a fourth round of Official Visits were sent out earlier this month. If you are one of the congregations that received an invitation please review the available dates, pick one, and schedule a visit with me. These visits have been very beneficial in building relationships and sharing information about the District and the congregation. Conclusion
We are moving deeper into the summer months and times of vacation. I pray that you are able to take some time for yourself and your family. Even if it is just a couple of day trips or days together it can be a blessing of renewal and refreshing. Also, plan on hanging out at church after service on Sunday a bit longer during these summer months. It is a wonderful time to develop your relationships. In all we do, we seek to be faithful to God and his Word. Let’s remember it is not all about any of us individually. It is not about exerting our will or establishing our word. Rather it is always about being faithful to Christ and his word. That is where we will find true blessing. The Lord be with you, President/Bishop Gewecke |