Garden Part 2

God’s Blessings to each reader today! Well, these weeks on the road in the USA are going so fast that it seems like I just typed the story of the Garden! I will endeavor now to do Part 2 of this story. As I said last week, we want to cover the nurturing of the plants in the Garden, as well as the Harvest!

The seeds have been planted in that prepared soil. The sun is shining brightly! God’s Grace is so good and plenteous, that He supplies all that we need. These newly planted seeds are like the newly born Christians, ones that have repented and believed the Gospel. The Bible says of these in 1 Peter 2:2 (KJV)
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Newborn children naturally can only handle milk. No solid food. New seedlings in the garden can only handle a little bit of water, not a whole flood at once. New seedling could not hold up to too much water, or they would uproot and be destroyed.

New believers also cannot hold up to too much strong talk or learning.
We must remember to use much grace in our speech, and so much the more to the new born babes in Christ! Ephes. 4:29 (KJV)
… but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
There will be time later to move on to teaching the deeper things in the Word of God. Do not expect the young to be able to handle too much! Give them time to grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Lord will continue to do the work that is needed, just be willing to be one of the ready tools in the tool shed. Be ready to work in the Garden of God’s Love and Grace. Be ready to nurture the newborns in Christ!

In the vegetable gardens that we keep, we are well knowledgeable that there is a time to plant and then much later a time to harvest. Eccles. 3:2 (KJV)
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Why is it then that sometimes in Christianity, we want to see people repent as soon as we start to preach? The planting (sowing) is when we begin to preach to a group or individuals. God word will not return void, it will do what it will if it is preached in truth and purity. Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Do not be worried about the Harvest on Planting day. However, by the same token, do not neglect the harvest. This is important work. Luke 10:2 (KJV)
Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Notice how the Word says His harvest. This is not ours. It is the Lord’s Harvest. God does work through the agency of man however. Men are the laborers.

It is my prayer that each living child of God, would be willing laborers in His Kingdom. All the various jobs need doing. We must be willing to turn to His Word, keeping all things in perspective according to the Bible, as go forth as His servants.

Are you and I willing, faithful, obedient servants? I pray that we would be, because the Lord is coming soon, and He desires that man would be saved. Oh that much sowing, watering and nurturing, would take place in the day of Grace, so that when it is time for His Harvest, many souls will be eternally saved!

Have a most Blessed Week!

Please pray for our annual Apostolic Lutheran Church Convention which is this week!

John

The Garden of God’s Love

This morning as I sat awake alone in this little apartment in Michigan, USA, I began to think and pray what to write for this week’s article. After many weeks of dry weather in this area, the last few days have been quite wet and dreary. Perhaps because of this, but most importantly by God, my thoughts seemed to be directed toward the vegetable garden which is outside our place here.

Before this garden, or any other garden was planted, the soil had to be prepared. The soil must be turned, broken up, made soft. The soil must be made ready before the seed is planted. Is this not the same way it is spiritually?
Luke 8:15 (KJV)
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Only when the heart is ready to receive can the preached Word do good and take firm root. Pray that this work of turning over, changing, making ready, and softening of men’s hearts would be done by God in your communities so that when the Word of God is spoken, it will fall upon good ground.

Once the soil is made ready in a natural vegetable garden here on earth, then the seed can be planted. This is called sowing.

2 Cor. 9:6 (KJV)
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Matthew 13:37 (KJV)
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mark 4:14 (KJV)
The sower soweth the word.

Share the Word with the people. Sow the seed! Do not decide that today I will not sow, or I will only sow a little. No, sow liberally. Sow the Word. Preach it dear Pastor, preach it dear Christians everywhere. Share it with your friends young and old! Share it with anyone that will listen. Remember as in our scripture verses above, if the seed is sown only sparingly, it shall reap also sparingly! In this garden outside our place here, the vegetables are coming up in fine rows. The whole of the garden plot is used, if not I am sure the gardener would not have turned the soil as large and then only planted a few seeds. No, rather many seeds were used!

Another thought about sowing seeds. If you plant a carrot seed, you will get a carrot. Whatever seed is planted, that is the type of vegetable that will be harvested if the Lord allows it. Never will something else take shape. Galatians 6:7 (KJV)
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

God’s plan and Word is so perfect. We must be aware that if we sow evil or destructive talk, if we sow discontent or mistrust, then we will also reap the same. But Praise be to God that it is also true that if God’s Holy Word is sown, then the great and everlasting benefits will be harvested according to the Grace and Mercy of our Lord!

Now we must remember that scripture says in 1 Cor. 3:7-8 (KJV)
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Man must do his part in both the natural vegetable garden, and in the work of the Lord. However, God gives the increase! Nothing will become of any effort of man without God giving the blessing and the increase. We do not have control of this! God does, and God is good! 1 Cor. 3:6 (KJV)
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Also in a vegetable garden, weeds pop up! These must be rooted up so they do not choke out the sun and moisture from the real plants.
Matthew 15:13 (KJV)
But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
So complete is the Word of God that He has put all these pictures are in our Bibles for us to be able to understand! Do not allow roots of bitterness to spring up in your life. These must be plucked out for a healthy home or church life to grow.

There is so much more to speak about in this garden example but I am afraid this is article is getting too long. If the Lord so wills, next week I will continue with Part 2 of this Garden Story. We will cover the nurturing (watering and feeding), and the Harvest!

I leave you this final word of encouragement this week about the word planted!

Romans 6:5 (KJV)
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Blessings and the Ship of Faith

Dear Readers! God’s Peace!

Before I start on this week’s article, I did want to share with you a little from my heart on this greeting of God’s Peace! I know that many of you in foreign countries that read these articles may not fully understand why I use this. Well, for one thing, it has been a tradition in the ALCA for many years. It is much more than a custom to me though. I say it because, from the heart, I would want that each one have the Peace of God in their heart. If they do not have it, I hope they would soon be able to repent and believe the Gospel so that they can have the Peace that passeth all understanding for their own heart.

If they are already Christians, then I want to assure them again that this peace is a precious and very valuable thing to have. Oh that nothing would come into their lives that would take the Peace of God away. To me, this greeting is a shortened version of what we see in the New Testament so often when the writers greet us with Grace, Mercy and Peace at the beginning of each book. God’s Peace is blessing. It is a sharing of the heart, a desire to share his love, peace, and mercy with all that I meet. After all, who would we not want to have the Peace of God? I am sure that you and I agree, we would want everyone to have this, just as our Lord also desires this. He desires this much more fully and perfectly than us of course.

Here are some things that I pray that I never let this greeting become in my heart. I do not want to use it to show that I am from a certain church. I do not want to use it as a judgment tool as to whether or not I believe one to be in faith. In other words, I do not want to say it to only believers, and skip over those that I judge not to be. I am not a judge. I also do not want to say it out of obligation, or out of tradition only. I want to use this greeting as a blessing! So with that, again I say God’s Peace!

Yesterday, my wife and my son made a journey to a city 2 hours away to pick up a dear brother, Pastor Dennis Hilman. He is visiting America for a couple weeks. After we picked him up, we went to dinner, after which we went for a walk along the shore of the largest fresh water lake in the world. What a beautiful evening it was. God is so good that He gives us His beautiful Creation to enjoy!

As we were walking along, we saw a very large ship leaving the harbor. Some thoughts came to mind. First of all, the ship had to go into the safe harbor to load up for the journey. The ship was safe and secure from the large waves of the sea. This to me is a small picture of how Christians are safe in the arms of Jesus. There can be huge waves in the sea, but we are safely in port! Under His Wings! What a blessing to be under the care and protection of our great protector, the One that set the bounds to the sea! Enjoy your safe harbor, all that are the redeemed of the Lord!

When the large ship was going out to sea, I also thought of the rudder, or helm which is the steering of the ship. We read in James 3:4-10 (KJV)

Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

I pray that each one of us would take notice of this scripture and control our tongue, so that our ship of faith would not stray and become shipwrecked!

Until next week, continue to dwell in the safe harbors of our Lord Jesus Christ! John

Heavenly Dew

I was reminded of a portion of scripture from the Old Testament last week by a dear older pastor. After he commented briefly on this, I went to the Bible and found the story. Here it is: Judges 6:36-40 (KJV)
And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. 38And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Here we have the precious Word of God before us. As we know, in so many places in scripture the children of God are referred to as sheep. Fleece of wool are from the sheep. Here, Gideon wanted to hear from God. He wanted to hear from the Lord. We also must want to hear from God, whether at church, or in our daily lives.

The Lord surely spoke to Gideon. The fleece was very wet, and the ground was dry. See, the Lord caused the fleece to become wet, so much so that a bowl full of water was wrong out of it. This is how it is for Christians when God speaks to us. We can become moistened, by His Word which often is pictured as water in the scriptures. The Water of the Word moistens us. It makes us joyful. Our cup can run over as in the Psalm. These are the Waters of Living Water, like the wells of Salvation spoken about in Isaiah Chapter 12.

When we turn to our Bibles, or go to hear God’s Word, or preach God’s Word, let us remember that as in this story, God made the fleece wet. It is totally by Him that we can be feed, watered, comforted, strengthened, and it is from Him that all of our blessings flow. We do not get this from some man or pastor; though they may be used as tools in His vineyard. No, we get these blessings from God Himself. Praise and thank God for this.

Notice how afterward, when the fleece was put out a second time, it remained dry and the ground was wet. Still this is from God. We must remember that He is in control of the watering. No one else has part in this. We must humbly accept this fact, and understand as written in Lament. 3:22-23 (KJV)
It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
My Lord has been so merciful to me. His faithfulness has been so great! I deserve nothing but punishment, but because of what His own Son has done for me, He has given me Salvation! What a wonderful, marvelous Saviour! I trust He is your Saviour too! Look to Him to shower you with blessings. Look only to him to moisten you with His Holy Word. Only He can do this. Be ready to soak it in!

Dear Pastors, study His Word. Pray for enlightenment. Be vigilant in sticking with Truth of God’s Word. Your own words will not moisten or help anyone, but God’s Word surely will. Your congregants will only be moistened when you are willing and obedient to being used as His tool as you preach His Word.

Be encouraged that God does the watering, as in our text. Rest that all is by and through Him. Let each of us as the sheep of our Lord, be willing to be moistened with Heavenly Blessings!

Have a Blessed Week!
God’s Peace! John

The Potter and the clay

The Potter and the Clay

Romans 9:21 (KJV)
Hath not the potter power over the clay…

This week I will endeavor to share with you a little story about the potter and the clay. Many times in scriptures we can see that we are as clay, the Lord is the Potter. In many of our countries there are people (potters) that make clay pots or containers.

One of the first things that takes place in the work area of the potter is that he takes a lump of clay and places it in the middle of the potters wheel. The clay at this stage does not look very attractive, as it is only a lump of earth colored substance. Clay at this stage is in a very workable state. It must be placed in the very center of the wheel or it cannot be worked on at all.
Mankind must be willing to both be pliable and workable, and must be willing to be centered and be in proper sync with the Lord. Picture Christ as the center point of the wheel. We must be focused and centered on Christ Jesus (die to self) before the Lord, the Great Potter can work on us.

As the potters’ wheel starts to turn, the potter takes water, and sprinkles it onto the clay while forming the clay with his own hands. We know water is pictured as the Word in scriptures. The word (water) is applied to the lump of clay (mankind) as the Potter (the Lord) molds it. That useless lump soon starts to take shape. The lump grows up from the gentle work of the hands of the potter. Mankind, when worked on by the Lord, will also grow and be shaped as He sees fit.

Notice this: If the potter finds a rock, of foreign object in the clay as he is molding it, he must stop the wheel. He then takes the partially formed project, finds that object that is ruining the soon to be pot. The potter then has to take the partially formed pot, break it down, take out the foreign rock or object, pound it back into a lump and start all over. Notice that the Potter does not discard the clay, he just takes out the bad part, and starts over. This is how the Great Potter, or Lord, deals with mankind. Have you ever had to be worked on by our Lord? Is he still working on you today? Do you have a sin that needs to be plucked out so the Lord can continue working with you? Sin is a problem and must be plucked out. Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Be uplifted, he will not toss you aside, He will keep molding and working on you. Isaiah 42:3 (KJV)
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Do not be disheartened. Continue on!

Philip. 1:6 (KJV)
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Our Lord loves us and will keep working on us. Let us be centered and pliable in His hands.

Now the Potter keeps working on the clay. Again He builds up that lump, He keeps working on it until he forms it into a perfect pot. Is the pot now ready for use? It is in the proper shape; it looks like a pot, but is it ready? No, it is not, it must be tried by fire before it is finished, if not it will fall apart very quickly. 1 Cor. 3:13 (KJV)
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Do you feel like you have been or are being tried by fire? This is what has to be done according to scripture to make us ready for full service. This needs be done to make us a complete tool for work in His Kingdom. Do not become discouraged, but rather rejoice as these scriptures instruct: 1 Peter 4:13 (KJV)
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1 Peter 1:6 (KJV)
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

Am I willing to be worked on by the Great Potter, our Lord? I am willing to have Jesus Christ be the center of my universe, to be my all in all? Oh that God would give each of us the Grace to always remember that we are the Clay and He is the potter!

Our Lord loves us so much. We know that the potters here on earth would not want anyone to destroy the pots they have made. After all, they have spent hours working on it. So very much more, our Lord does not want us to be destroyed or lost. He created us in His own image. He sent His only Son to die for us. He bought us back, He has Redeemed us! The Lord surely does not want to lose us: Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)
…..for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

When the potter has finished the project, after it has been tried by fire, it is ready now for use in hauling water, or being able to be used to hold other precious substances. Are we ready for use in His Kingdom? When we are, we will be found holding the most precious substance of all, Faith given to us by and through the Redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ! All Glory goes to God for both the substance placed in the Heart of His believers, and for the creating, molding, and making our entire beings. Be as in Romans 4:20 (KJV)
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

All Glory to God! Halleluiah, Amen

Children of the Heavenly Father

Dear Readers, God’s Peace!

This week it has been placed on my heart to speak about children. I have noticed on my trips into many of your countries that there are very many children. This is a joy to see. Children are so precious.

However, when I have seen so many children, my thoughts have also been turned to sadness and urgency. This is because many of these children have parents that are not Christians. The parents may be Buddhists, Hindus, Muslim, Atheists, or just plain unbelievers.

The urgency I feel, is that it surely would be nice to be able to reach these children in time with the message of Jesus Christ before they come of age and they are indoctrinated into these non saving religions. I am so saddened when many millions and billions of children grow to adulthood and become members of non saving religions. Oh that they could hear the Truth of God’s Word in Jesus Christ unto the salvation of their souls.

Dear pastors, missionaries, and other true Christians. Be encouraged to continue to minister unto and teach the children. God’s Word in Proverbs 22:6 says
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

All children are created by God in His own image. He created all, He loves all, Jesus died for all, and all are still loved by our Lord. He wants that all would be saved. We know from God’s word that not all, but rather only a small portion of mankind will be saved. Thus we must proceed with the preaching of His word with great urgency. Life does not last very long at all. Many need to hear the Gospel and repent during this time of Grace. Very small children however, I believe are already believers. God created them and gives them faith. This is shown in John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Notice how it says every man that cometh into the world. All have had the light (Jesus) at one time!

We have many scriptures that I will share with you here that show that the children are very special in the eyes of our Lord.

Matthew 18:3
.. Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

. Matthew 18:6 (KJV)
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. The ones offending them and hurting them will be punished, not the little ones.

Matthew 19:14 (KJV)
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus said, become as little children. This is because they are innocent. Of such is the kingdom of heaven. This is the exact same reason that we baptize infants because they believe!

Mark 16:16 (KJV)
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Scripture says he that believeth and is baptized. We know that children believe, that is why we baptize them. Baptism does not save them, they already believe and are saved, therefore we baptize. If we did not consider Children to be in a saved state, it would be wrong to baptize infants. Even in the Old Testament we see that circumcision, which baptism replaced in the New Testament, took place at 8 days old. Children were special even in the Old Testament.

God created each man in his own image. Sin came into the world through Adam and Eve. Because of sin, we all now have the sinful portion. However children, until they come of an age when they are on their own thoughts, thinking, reasoning, start rebelling, and so forth, they have a childlike faith (the light we read about in John) given by their creator and made possible through Jesus Christ!

In Isaiah 1:18-20 (KJV) it says.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Children are not yet able to refuse and rebel against the Grace of God when small infants. The tiny children are willing and obedient, and shall eat of the good of the land. Should infants pass away, they shall go to heaven, I believe!

I surely would like to continue this discussion, but this letter is already getting too long for a blog and email. Lord willing in future weeks, we will look further into Children, Baptism, and other very important teaching of Jesus and the entire Bible.

May God Bless your Week! John

Love Elevates!

Dear Readers in the many countries of God’s Created World!

This week I share with you a wonderful letter from Pastor Orval Wirkkala. You are probably becoming familiar with his writings as I have shared them with you several times.
I also want you to know that we are ramping up the numbers of sermons that the Foreign Mission is able to deliver around the world via your cell phone. Please let me know if you are interested in this, and I will arrange for you to be included in these sermons if at all possible. Please Email me at foreignmission@comcast.net May God Bless your week! John

Love Elevates the Other!

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Philippians 2:1-4

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a pastor make this comment concerning the above portion of Scripture:

"If we consider our spouse more imporant than ourselves, they will know that they are important to us." This is how he explained the last part of the third verse, in which it is written, "but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves."

As I thought of what he had said and of its significance in our relationships with one another, the words of Apostle John came to mind as to the definition and foundation of love:

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (1 John 4:8-11)

Our Creator sent His Son into the world to reveal His seeking, forgiving and accepting heart of love toward us. He wishes through His Son for us to know and experience this forgiving and accepting love toward us as it was revealed through the Christ on the cross. God views His new creation through Christ and desires that all would come to this knowledge of acceptance in Christ. As it is written:

to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:19

Do we understand what this means for us today and for all the peoples of the earth? Have we come to experience the full impact of the meaning of how God has received us in Christ? That He is fully satisfied in us because of the work of His Son in doing the will of His Father through the cross? Do we know how pleased He is in us through His Son? He is waiting for us to accept this gift through repentance toward Him (turning away from and turning toward Him) and faith in Christ. (acceptance of forgiveness through Christ's offering of Himself)

When we come to know, understand and experience the love of God in His forgiveness and acceptance, we come to experience our true worth in the sight of God. Because we know that we are important to Him, we live in the experience of that relationship of being accepted in Christ, but even more so, we are received/welcomed by Him on a continual basis. For God always looks upon us who we are in His Son, of whom He testified: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17

And if God welcomes us into this fellowship, how can we than not welcome/accept all even as we have been welcomed/accepted? Therefore, when we are in Christ, we consider others more important than ourselves and we exhibit this through our desires, motives and actions.

May God bless you in Christ today and always!

Pastor Orval Wirkkala

Brace for Impact

This week I am forwarding you for your encouragement an article that was sent to me by one of the people that receives these weekly emails! She is from India and I thank her for her article! I will leave it totally unchanged from how I received it. Please enjoy!

Good morning dear brother in Christ, REv John routsala THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE BLESSED MESSAGES YOU ARE FORWARDING THROUGH FM BLOG . THEY GREATLY ENCOURAGE US IN THE LORD . THANK YOU . Hope you be blessed reading
This encouraging powerful word which will surely touch your hearts and let you remind again of HIS miraculous power working towards His people in midst of trouble.
A few weeks ago, a commercial airliner crashed into the Hudson river in New York city. The flight was U.S. Air # 1549, bound for charlotte, North Carolina. With in a minute of take-off, a flock of large birds had a head-on collision with the plane. As a result , both engines of the jet were damaged and ceased to function. The pilot was forced to make a quick decision. His options were limited. He knew he couldn’t make it back for a landing new york city nor could he make it to some other airport. It looked like he was headed for a terrible crash that would likely bring lots of damage and death to everyone in the plane and may be to others on the ground as well. The well experienced pilot , chesley sullenberger III came up with another option. He decided to attempt a landing on the river. He knew that this plan was loaded with risk and uncertainty but it was the only remaining option. So he spoke a brief, important message to the passengers and crew on board the plane…. BRACE FOR IMPACT. Moments later the plane landed on the surface of the river. And miraculously, no one was killed in the crash.
Lets focus on the three worded message given by the pilot…. BRACE FOR IMPACT. The pilots message was a word of caution. It was based on the reality of present danger. It was an honest assessment of present discomfort. It also warned of even more dire conclusions to their journey.
Those three words are an important reminder for all of us. Many of the biblical authors give us the same message… to expect some affliction… and to prepare for it before it comes.
• JESUS says ….. in this world you will have trouble ( john 16:33)
• PAUL, in speaking of his own experience mentions a wide variety of difficulties ( II cor.11:23-29)… mentioning…imprisionments , flogging, exposure to death,stoning, shipwreck,danger from bandits, sleeplessness,hunger,thirst and pressure from churches.
• PAUL…preparing us for times of affliction, speaks of this cluster of difficulties…trouble,hardship,presecution,famine,nakedness,danger and death(Romans 8:35)
• PETER writes richly about suffering in his first epistle ,including these phrases…suffering grief in all kinds of trials …do not be surprised at the painful trials you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you ( I peter 1:6; 4: 12)
• JOB, even in the midst of huge losses ,said …Naked I come from my mothers womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; May the name of the Lord be praised ( job 1:21)
Robert Mc Cracken has written “ Adversity is not necessarily an evil. Because of it understanding ,patience,endurance,sympathy can be learned… Beethoven composed his deepest music after becoming totally deaf,pascal set down his most searching observations about God and man and life and death in brief intervals of release from a prostrating illness. Robertson Nicoll wrote an essay on the thesis : That the best letters are written by the mortally wounded.”

The pilots words truly re-echo the similar themes stated by multiple authors of the scriptures. We are wise to be prepared and ready for today. tomorrow and tomorrows tomorrow…and for whatever it may bring to us. Yes., I will say it again ,…BRACE FOR IMPACT.

As we do it, lets do it joyfully, confidently, and thankfully, as the Scriptures declare , remembering that we never travel alone. He is with us all the way. Even in the toughest times, God is doing something special IN us and THROUGH us.

Dear ones in the Lord , I am sure that you be encouraged through this wonderful message that touched my heart to share it with you my beloved family in Christ.

Yours in His service, Sis Evangeline Ashok INDIA.

Forgiving Love

I hope that this week’s blog finds each of you continuing in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. This week our article is a short one I found in our church’s Christian Monthly. It reminds us of the unchanging love that God had for Israel, (all His people). Do we know someone that has been unfaithful to their spouse, to the church, to all that God would want them to be? We are to still treat them with ever caring love, trying to reach out to them to restore them to the faith. Yes, we understand that this will not always be successful, because the heart of the wayward must be repentant and be willing to change. However, this does not change our responsibility in the matter, nor how we are to behave toward the wayward or backsliding.

I hope you enjoy the short article below, and hopefully it will prompt us to read God’s Holy Word even more! May God Bless your week! John

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee
unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness,
and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and
thou shalt know the Lord. Hosea 2:19-20
Hosea is a tender prophet with a very sad matrimonial
experience, which was designed of God to set forth Israel’s
relationship to Himself and their unfaithfulness to the covenant
He had made with them. Hosea’s wife proved untrue to all her
vows and became a poor characterless slave. Yet the prophet
sought her out, redeemed her, and took her to himself in
forgiving love, only to have his heart broken by her continued
waywardness. It sets forth graphically not only God’s unchanging
love for Israel, His earthly people, but it pictures vividly His
grace toward the individual soul. He is Redeemer, Restorer,
and unfailing Friend, whose loving-kindness exceeds our worst
offenses and whose forgiveness is extended to every repentant
sinner, no matter how dark and shameful the record may be.
H. A. Ironside

God's Word is for Life!

The Holy Word of God has the answer to all of life’s questions. This week I will share with you how the Word of God has worked and comforted me so often in my life.
From my youth up until this day, I thank the Lord that He has kept me aware that although I am weak, He is strong.

God’s Word is not just some words formed into a book. It is the Bread of Life for us. There is so much in it for all times and in all parts of life. It is how we find our way, it is how we continue on this journey.

Below are some of the ways and verses the Holy Scripture has helped me in my life.

* Some of my earliest memories as a boy included many of the simple things that most children deal with. If I was afraid of the dark, scared in a thunderstorm, sad, or had questions, the Word of the Lord came and said to me like the song: Jesus Loves Me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Many children still today love this song. It is so obviously true, and the Bible does tell us that Jesus loves all of us, not only children.

* As I grew up, if I had questions I just had to remember that Jesus said: John 14:6 (KJV)
..I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
No man or teacher was able to tell me that the way I have learned in Sunday school, church, and from my parents was wrong because I had this and other verses in the Bible.

* When I become fearful, I just need to read in so many places such as: Luke 24:36 (KJV)
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. This word Peace is used so often in the Bible. Jesus wants us to remember that He gives us peace. There is no need to have fear if we turn to Jesus!

* When I am tempted I must remember the Word says: James 1:12 (KJV)
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. And Peter says: 1 Peter 1:6 (KJV)
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

* When I need to be uplifted and feel that I am worthless, God’s Holy Word says: Philip. 4:13 (KJV) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

* If my pride begins to get the upper hand God’s Word says: Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Jesus all said in Mark 10:31 (KJV) But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. There is no reason to boast except in Christ Jesus our Lord.

* If I have sinned against my brother, the Holy Word tells me in James 5:16 (KJV)
Confess your faults one to another….

* If I am looked down on for confessing His name:
1 Peter 3:14 (KJV)
But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

1 Peter 4:14 (KJV)
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

* If I worry that Jesus has left me: Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) … for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Are you getting the picture? Every thought you could possible have, every doubt, every fear, every temptation, there are verses in the scripture to help you through. God has given us this marvelous book to help us in our journey. Over and above this Holy Word he has given us, He has given us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts to help us along, to guide us and keep us!

Would you allow me to mention a few more of these bible verses that have helped me so much in my walk as a Christian?

* When I was having the worst financial times of my life, God gave me a release from earthly desires for a season by dropping on me like a ton of bricks this verse: Matthew 6:19 (KJV)
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Do not let financial stresses ruin your life in Christ; earthly riches do not last anyway.

* When I wonder about the last day: 1 Thes. 4:16-17 (KJV)
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

* When I need assurance of Salvation I can read: 1 Peter 1:5 (KJV)
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. I want to be kept by no other power than the power of Almighty God.

I hope and trust that you have the picture of what has helped me through this life. There are so many more verses that I rely on, but I will not put them all here. Remember, the Word of God is here for us! Christians are here for us. The opportunity of having a prayer life is here for us! The Holy Spirit is in the hearts of His Believers! Rely fully on these things and you will by God’s grace realize your problems are only passing. Run the race full force! Fight the fight of Faith. Finish the course. The rewards are so great, much greater than any on this earth. God will help you each day of your journey if we turn to Him!

Drinking From and Digging Wells

Hello and God's Peace!
It is time for the weekly email and blog of encouragement! Please enjoy this article which was written by Pastor Orval Wirkkala. Orval is also on the Foreign Mission Board and I have shared his writings with you in the past. May God Bless your week! John

"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:15-21)"

As we bask in the joy of the knowledge as well as the experience in our hearts of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we continue our journey through life, thanking our God for the visitations of His Spirit that He showered upon us during this time of remembering and reflecting upon His great love for us. A love that John describes in his first epistle: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10 During these refreshing times in our lives, we come to better understand the words that were spoken by Nehemiah long ago when he told his people, " The joy of the Lord is your strength." As we are refreshed as well as renewed in strength, we receive new motivation and power to plant and water the Word of grace to others.

Recently we had a missionary speak at our church and he spoke of this matter. Referring to one of the Psalms, he mentioned that those who traveled through the dry country in the ancient world would dig wells so that they could drink, not only for themselves, but so that those coming after them could also drink of the thirst quenching water. He then compared this with Christ, Who is the Well of Living Water, relating of the blessing that we receive from the previous generations who have drank of the Living Water and have faithfully looked to bless the next generation through providing for the opportunity for them to drink of Christ. In like manner, as we drink from the wells that have been provided for us, may we also be mindful to continue to make provision for the future generations who will come after us, beginning now.

In the verses which are at the beginning of our writing today, the Apostle Paul wants to help us to "see" the blessing of being called by grace; the glory that we have today as well as in the future and of the immeasurable power of grace that He wishes to "be" in us so that we may bring the Gospel of Christ to others. Lord, please give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You through your Son Jesus Christ.

Pastor Orval Wirkkala

Real Change!

Todays article is writen by the Dean at the Inter-Lutheran seminary who is also a pastor in our ALC church in Painesdale, MI. I hope you enjoy this article! John


So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your
labour is not in vain in the Lord. (I Corinthians 15:51-58)

Have you ever consideredthe duration of the twinkling of an eye? (Twinkle, as it is used here,is a synonym for “blink.”)

How long does it take to blink? However you may measure it, it’s very fast. When Christ returns to the earth again it will take that amount of time for us to be In the Twinkling of an Eye changed to be like Him. This is how complete His victory is over sin, death and the devil; there’s no agonizing or prolonged process but a change in a moment. The victory is Christ’s and when He returns we will receive the full benefit of His victory in an instant.


The ancient church fathers understood this reality and they lived their lives in a reflection of it. In their awareness of the finished work of Christ they had a clear sense of eternity, that everything would change in a moment but once the change was complete
there would be an eternity of unchangeableness. Right now times in our world are difficult: budgets are strained, political situations are in flux, there are conflicts all around us, and the future, in the estimation of many, is bleak and uncertain.

Sadly, that simply shows that the world has the wrong view of reality. The fathers had the right one; they knew that the times were always in God’s hands and they also knew that they themselves were held preciously in those same mighty hands. They lived in the assurance of the promise of a day that would be brighter than the finite mind could imagine and, with that day in mind, they persevered through tribulation.

May God grant that we sense the power of His hands that uphold us even now, the hands from which no man is able to pluck us (John 10:29). And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:7)

God’s peace,
Pastor Jay Weidner
Painesdale, Michigan

Holy Week

Hello and God’s Peace to all!


….Continued from Last week….

The stone was moved away! Jesus was no longer on the cross. He was no longer in the grave. Our Lord had won the victory for us over death, hell, and the power of the devil. What a joy it is to know that we have a living Saviour who overcame all things for us.

As we spoke last week about how the events of this week affect our lives here on earth, notice what day we now worship on. We worship on Sunday, the Lords Day. This is because it was a the greatest event that He arose from the dead. This event was far greater even than the rest that God took after creating the entire world in six days. When we experience the living Lord Jesus in our hearts by faith, we have entered into His rest. We have a living hope of eternal Salvation because He is alive!

It is interesting that the women were the first ones to the tomb that resurrection day morning. Women still today play a very prominent roll in the church. Women often understand relationships better than men, and their hard work and dedication in the church is surely a blessing.

When our Lord showed himself to the disciples after his resurrection He said Peace be unto you John 20:19 (KJV)
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Jesus did not want the disciples to be afraid. We hear this phrase so often in the Holy Scriptures. Fear not was told to the angels at the time of Jesus birth. Many other times we are instructed to not be fearful. Fear is the opposite of faith. Do not let the devil tempt you with fear or unbelief. You will not find in the scriptures that God wants us to fear.

The work of our Lord here on earth was complete when He fulfilled all for us in His life and in His death, and the earth could not contain Him. He arose, therefore we live. However all the promises were not fulfilled.

Jesus made this wonderful promise in John 15:26 (KJV)
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Now all those that are partakers of the complete work of Jesus for our redemption and salvation, have the comforter the Holy Spirit of God living within their hearts. He said he in John 14:18 (KJV) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
This wonderful comforter is with us today, leading and guiding, comforting us, and also convicting us of sin and wrong. This is how we live our life today, by the great power of His Spirit. What a wonder, how amazing!

What a joy to know and understand that this period is the period of rest. Rest in Him and life lived by the power of the Holy Spirit! A life at Liberty in Christ! For 2 Cor. 3:17 (KJV)
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Partake of and Rejoice, dear reader in the Suffering, Death, and Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus this Easter Season!

Stone Removed

Hello and God’s Peace to all!

Holy week is fast approaching. This is the time of year that we focus on the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! It is good that we focus extra time on this most important series of events. However, these events are not just historical events for a Christian. The have a much deeper meaning than this.

We must realize that these events shape who we are. These events cause us to be who we are today. This is our reality now! And if we miss these events in a spiritual way, then we suffer in this life and will for all eternity.

We as Christians live by the events of Holy Week, but not in a historical way. We live by them in a day by day journey as a child of God. Here we get our salvation and our strength to live day by day.

These events also need to become real to all who are not yet believers. It is these very happenings that allow people to become saved! Remember, Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. All have sinned, but Jesus bore all!

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he was hailed as a king. He was cheered on as he rode on that donkey. In less than one week people turned on him. This is the way man is. Without the power of God, we cannot resist temptation or sin. We cannot be consistent. Man goes this way and that. This is a sad truth of how men are when left to their own ways.

On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus went into the garden alone to pray! The Lord of Lords, went alone to Pray! This is such an example for us. We can and should turn to God in prayer often. The burden of our sin came upon Him. Read about this in your bible!

He was betrayed, yet He was like a lamb before the shearers, he was dumb (silent). He was scourged, He was beaten, He suffered so much bodily pain, and the pain of the sin of all mankind that was on him was immense.

They nailed our Lord to the Cross. They hung him there between Heaven and Earth between two thieves. Our sins were nailed with Him there. All of our doubts, our fears, our lying, stealing, bad behavior in every which way, was nailed with Him there to the cross. He could have called ten thousand angels, to destroy the world and set Him free. Instead, He died alone, for you and me! No man could take the life of Jesus. He laid his life down for fallen mankind. This is not just the other person. It is for Me! For you! This is who He died for. He died so that we would not have to die.

Jesus was then put into the grave. He was there until the third day. What did those that were first to arrive at the tomb find? The stone had been rolled away! O dear reader! God had moved the stone because of what Jesus had done. Jesus had completed all and had won the victory. The Stone was rolled away. Do you have any stones that need to still be rolled out of the way in your life? Any sins, doubts or fears? Is there anything that is weighing you down today? Remember, due to the complete work of Jesus, the stone is removed. All these things in your life were nailed to the cross with Jesus. The stone was removed!
He wants all of our stones to be removed because He died for them. Believe this! By His name and by the power of His Blood, all sins are wiped away. Believe this by faith unto the salvation of your soul!

Jesus is alive! Praise God today and always that Jesus Lives! Halleluiah!

(to be continued next week, as this is too long!) Yes Jesus is Alive! There is so much more to write that pertains to our living by the power of the Holy Spirit which made possible because of the Redemptive work of our Lord Jesus!

May God Bless your week!

Yoke

Hello and God’s Peace Dear Readers.

As Dennis Hilman and I are still traveling through the USA doing Mission Education and Preparation Seminars. Lord willing in two weeks from today I will be at home. I am having a wonderful time traveling, doing the seminars, and seeing the Christians around the USA. However, it will be surely nice to get home to my wife and family!

As we go through this life, we have both good and not so good days. We have mountaintop experiences, as Dennis and I have had so many of lately both in India and in the USA, and we have those times in the valleys of life. I am so very thankful that the same one true God that is the God in the good times, He is also God in the bad times. When we feel we are truly in the valleys of life, having a hard time, we can be assured that our God knows our situation is by the side of all those that believe in Him.

Remember our Lord Jesus said: Matthew 11:29 (KJV)
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Rest in Him. Many of you in foreign countries understand what a yoke is better than us in the USA do. A yoke is used for oxen or cattle, or horses, to tie them together so that a team can be used to get the work done that needs doing.

The believer’s team consists of our Lord and us. Each of us that believe by faith, our Lord helps us, leads us, carries our load, protects us, and is our all in all. Notice that verse says, Matthew 11:30 (KJV) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. If we are truly yoked to our Saviour by faith, we can understand how our burden is light. It is because His yoke is easy. The earthy yoke makes two animals work the same amount to share the load, making it lighter. With Jesus, He is able and willing to carry our whole load, making our burden very light! Turn to Him at all times. Stay in tune to your Saviour, lay all your burdens down before him, and your life will be joyous.

If we go on our own we have tremendous burdens that we cannot bare. Do not attempt to go up the mountains or through the valleys of life alone.

It is so wonderful how the entire bible works together to bring this message of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, and the benefits and gifts that are given through it when,
… by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephes. 2:8 (KJV)
I leave you this week with this wonderful words!
Isaiah 61:1-3 (KJV)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

May the Lord Bless your week! John

He First Loved us!

God’s Peace!

Dear Readers around the world. (this blog is written especially for all the friends, associates and fellow laborers in the Lord’s vineyard of the Foreign Mission abroad) Anyone else who runs across this blog are most welcome to read it as well.

This week I must tell you about a little child that came to our mission seminar in South Carolina. When she was asked why she came, she said “because I love Jesus.” How can it be said better than that? Is this not why we come to church? Is this not why we minister in His Kingdom? Is this not why many of you risk your lives for the Gospel?

Scripture tells us in 1John 4:19 (KJV) We love him, because he first loved us. We could not love Him, unless He first loved us. This is the way it is for believers today. He came to earth as a lowly babe so all can approach and come to him. He lived as a man here on earth so that He could know what we go through and are tempted with. He fulfilled all in our behalf, yet without sin. He went to the cross and gave up His life. There he bore our sorrows, paid for our sin, laid down His life. He was there alone. Our sins were nailed to the cross with him. He could have called 10,000 angels to destroy the world and save His life, but no, He died alone for you and me! This is how much he loved us.

Then on the third day, after winning the battle over death, hell and the power of the devil, our Lord Arose! He lives so we can have life and have it more abundantly. He then fulfilled another promise, He sent the comforter, the Holy Ghost to dwell in our hearts. This is how much he first loved us! This is why we are able to love him! This is why the believers today can have the peace and joy that passeth all understanding. Philip. 4:7 (KJV)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The best news of all for those that love Jesus is that one day He will come to call His own to be with Him in heaven! Luke 21:27 (KJV) And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
We shall see Him, and go to be with Him forever in Heaven above!

This is why this little girl and all true believers today can say that they love Jesus! Because He first loved us! This I know for the Bible tells me so!

May the Lord Bless your week!

John Ruotsala

Reservation

God’s Peace!

This week I am traveling again for the Foreign Mission. Dennis Hilman and I are conducting FM seminars around the USA. I do have full cell phone and internet coverage on this trip so you can continue to email me as usual. I have very little time to write a blog, but I still want to share something with you!

I was reminded of this thought again yesterday as we traveled by air to South Carolina. One thing that is common with all travel by airplane and perhaps on most trains is this. You must have a reservation. This is shown by a ticket or boarding pass. Your reservation assures you that there is a place for you on that airplane or train.
On the day of your trip, you could do everything properly. You could wake up on time, east a good meal, remember all of your luggage, travel safely and on time to the airport, and wait patiently for the time to come to get on the airplane.

However, if you do not have a reservation (ticket or boarding pass) you are not going to be allowed on the airplane.

This to me is such an important lesson for us all! Unless we have a reservation made for heaven, we will not get there. Even if we live our life perfectly we cannot get there without the reservation. If we have a reservation, we surely will get to heaven. 1 Peter 1:4 (KJV)
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

This reservation is only made for us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His complete redemptive work done for us! 1 Peter 1:3 (KJV) says
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Jesus arose, therefore He lives! And because of this we Live and we have our reservation set in heaven! How wonderful! Believe this by faith for Ephes. 2:8 (KJV) says
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

This gift of God is offered fully and freely. The reservations are made for the believers and it is without money and without price! Praise the Lord!

TRUST

Greetings of God’s Peace to all of you around the world!

Well, it has been a few weeks since we have had this chance to look into God’s Word together. Many of you have said that you were in prayer for my trip. I really appreciate this. We could feel the prayers. My traveling partner was Pastor Dennis Hilman. Many of you know him as he is a full time missionary with The Foreign Mission of the ALCA.

Since I did not tell you where I went before the trip, I can tell you now. We went to India. It is a special place and we really enjoyed the trip. I am especially thankful that we were able to share God’s Word with so many Christians. I also am so thankful that so many non Christians were able to either come to the services, or hear them broadcast by speakers over the villages.

I learned so many valuable lessons on this trip. These included lessons about dedication, sacrifice, caring, sharing, and much more. This was shown by the Christians in India. The single most important thing I learned was about trust. So many things have happened since early December when I was first asked to go on this trip, until the trip was over, that this issue of Trust has become clearer to me. This is what we will look into scripture about this week.

Psalm 62:6-9 (KJV)
He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

You can see that verse 8 says Trust in him at all times; This does not mean, trust in him only when convenient, or when we have money, food, or all the good things. This does not mean only in the large things or in the good times. TRUST in Him at all times.

I first did not want to go to India. This is because I had already planned to go to the Philippines. Also, I had heard of the terrorist attacks, and about the persecution of Christians in certain parts of that country. I am so glad now that God appointed me to go to India. I needed to learn about trust. Many things along the way happened perfectly that I was worried about. Some where small things like, would I be able to eat the food? No problem, in fact I enjoyed it. Things like would the travel go smooth and safely, how will they find me at the airport since we had never seen each other? Also I worried about many other such things. Then there were also big things I worried about. Would God be able to use such a one as I to minister His Word in this far off land? Would He supply me with words to speak? Would He provide me with texts from the Bible to use? Again and again He provided for all. It was revealed to me that I had not been Trusting in Him enough.

I even had a physical injury to my leg to teach me this lesson further. After many days of pastors training and services, we decided to take the children from the orphanage to the river. There I was running with the boys and I injured my leg quite badly. I had torn a hamstring. If you know what this is, it is quite painful. I had never had this injury before so I was concerned. I had to hobble back home which was quite a long walk. Once there for only a few minutes, a medical Doctor walked into the house. He was not called; he just came to visit because he had come back to town from where he now lives. He looked at my leg and treated me. This is the first time a medical doctor walked into the house where I have been in my life. See, God was teaching me to Trust. After only a day or two, our visit at this place was over. The next place we went to was the home of a Doctor. I have never in my life stayed with a Doctor. This Doctor also treated my ailment faithfully. See, I needed to learn Trust, and teach me the Lord did. He was with me at all times!

Dear reader! The Lord is also with you at all times. Have total Faith in Him. Trust in Him always. His Word promises that He will never leave or forsake us! Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

God wants us to know, that even the small things are in His hands. He also wants us to know, that since He is watching over even these small things, He will also for sure watch over the big things in our lives.

Sometimes the answers He gives us do not feel good at first. Sometimes we think He did not hear our prayers. Remember, James 5:16 (KJV) says this way!
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

God does hear our Prayers! TRUST in HIM at all times!

In Christ’s Love and Care! John

Cloud of Witnesses!

Hello Friends! It is that time of week to drop you all a note. First of all I am very happy that some of you have come responded that you would like to hear sermons delivered to you via Skype. This is wonderful, because if you have the capability to receive sermons this way, it is at no cost if it is computer to computer. If not, we can still do them, as we can call your cell phone for very little cost to us, and no cost to you. Also, there are many of our churches here in the USA that have archived sermons that you can listen to. I realize there is a problem if English is not a familiar language, because there are no pauses to be able to translate through. However, if this works for you, please go to any of these websites, and then you can link to others from there. www.themissionsite.com www.aalchurchma.org www.alclakeworth.com www.apostoliclutheran.org/
Please feel free to visit these sites often! You can contact me at anytime at jthree16@comcast.net or foreignmission@comcast.net

In the past couple weeks, I had a personal issue that was bothering me. I did not know how to handle this situation. I prayed about it, asking God to give me an answer. Well, a verse was given to me, and it was Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
God’s wonderful Word has been given to us to help us in every time of need in our life. Not only in time of need, but also as our regular daily food. God is so good that He wants to feed us and care for us. This verse at this time to me said, John, you have a great cloud of witnesses all around you. You know many of the witnesses of Jesus Christ here on earth. Turn to them for help in this situation. I am so thankful that I did. Each Christian with whom I shared this situation with gave me a different yet caring answer. What a blessing to hear that first of all they cared, and secondly, that they were able to assure me that God is overall and will help me with even this situation. I prayed again after taking to them, and what do you know, God gave me a total peace and an answer to my situation. It was solved! Why am I surprised? I should not be, because He has been faithful to me to this point in life, this was just another incident that He can handle so easily! Oh that I would not be stubborn and always remember to turn to my Lord for help in all of life’s situations. Also Lord, allow me to turn to the cloud of witnesses that you have placed around me in the form of Your believers here on earth, to help me in time of need.
Our verse in Hebrews also says, let us lay aside every weight and sing that so easily beset us. This is such a precious opportunity. When we are surrounded by this cloud of Christians, we can ask for forgiveness for our sins. We can ask for forgiveness for our weights, our burdens, and our weaknesses. Christians who are the ambassadors for Christ here are earth, are more that happy to assure us that all of our sins, burdens, and all of our other bad ways, have been paid for and are forgiven by and through the Precious Name and shed Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ! 1 John 1:9 (KJV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Believe this by faith dear reader! Our Lord does not want us to carry burdens that He already has paid for! Believe all your sins forgiven in Jesus Name and shed Blood, and go forth by the power of God! What a joy it is to be a freely believing child of God, knowing that there is a spot reserved for us in heaven above, where all is joy and gladness, where we will forevermore to be with our Lord!

In Jesus Holy Name! Amen!

God’s Peace be with each of our readers today. I really look forward to hearing from you as often as I do by email, since that way we can get to know each others heart more and more. Mainly, we want to learn of the Heart of Jesus for each of us! This week our article is written by a childhood favorite pastor of mine. He has passed away many years ago now, but God’s word is always true and never gets old!! Please enjoy!

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32) The first thought revealed to us in this text is this: Simeon was ready to depart in peace for he had seen the salvation that God had prepared before all the people. What greater blessing could befall man than to be ready to depart in peace from this world of sorrow and sin and to dwell in the land of the righteous forever? This was the goal that Simeon had sought, and it is the goal toward which all true Christians are striving. Is this the goal toward which you are also striving, dear friend? If it is, let us examine how Simeon reached this goal. The Holy Ghost had revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. When he saw the Savior, on whom all the promises of the Word of God hinged, he was ready to depart in peace because he had believed those promises. This is what happens to all who see the Lord as He is: full of grace and truth. They find the peace of God that drives away the fear of death. Have you seen the Lord in this manner? You may think this is impossible because He is not in the flesh as He was in the days of Simeon. But does not the Bible say, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people? Therefore all may see Him. But do all know Him as their Savior? Great multitudes saw Him when He was here on earth, but did they know Him as their Savior? He performed miracles and wonders that never had been seen before and He spoke as no one had ever spoken before. But Simeon knew Him though he only saw a babe in the arms of His mother. This teaches us that some requirements are needed in order to come to know the Savior when He appears to us. The Bible tells us that Simeon was just and devout, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. The definition for just and devout is one who is upright and impartial, devoted to studying and obeying the Word of God. Those requirements are necessary; namely, that we honestly and impartially study and obey God’s Word in the light and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then we shall know the Savior whenever and wherever He appears to us. The natural eyes may see only a babe, or a Christian mother or father, sister or brother, but to the humble, sincere soul the Spirit reveals the Savior in and through them. The rationalist says that is foolishness. The atheist says that is superstition. The intellectualist brushes it aside as ignorance. Apostle Paul says, The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (I Corinthians 1:25) Let us take St. Paul as an example. The Bible introduces him to us as Saul of Tarsus in the eighth and ninth chapters of the book of Acts. He had seen the Lord with Hisdisciples, but did not know Him as his Savior because at that time he was not upright and impartial, although he may have entertained such thoughts about himself. He no doubt was sincere in his belief that he was serving God when he persecuted the Christians, but the Holy Ghost was not upon him, enlightening and guiding him. Not until the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus in such brightness that his natural eyes were blinded did he know the Lord, and that not by sight for he was blind. He knew Him through the words of introduction revealed in His response to Saul’s question, Who art thou? when the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. (Acts 9:5) Now, though Saul was blind, he received spiritual light and guidance to become upright, impartial and submissive,
asking, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? (Acts 9:6) Jesus commanded him to go into the city and that he will be told what he should do. Why did Jesus Himself not tell Saul what to do? Because He wanted Saul to know Him through His
followers and His Word. Had He justified Saul on the way, he would never have come to know Jesus in His followers and would have taught men to seek and find the Lord in secret, as many teach today. This experience taught Saul to seek the Lord in His followers and to find Him in His Word. When he received the blessing of the Lord, he received his sight and the Holy Ghost by believing that the words which Ananias spoke to him were just as authentic as if they had been spoken by the Lord. Therefore, Paul teaches, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, (II Corinthians 5:20) and To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. (II Corinthians 2:10) Note that Paul says, forgave I it in the person of Christ. Thus from experience he says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) The light that shines from Jesus first enlightens the heart and conscience of man to take note of his utterly lost and condemned condition. Then it shows man what he must do to be saved. Therefore, Paul says, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, (Romans 3:23-25)
and also these words, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:7) Now the sinner becomes aware of the grace of God in the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. Dear friend, has the light of Jesus enlightened you in this manner? If so, you are
indeed blessed and you have the peace of God, which is the peace of a good conscience. My new year’s wish for you is
that you keep faith and a good, peaceful conscience to the end of your journey. On the other hand, if you have not been enlightened, pray to God that the light of Jesus may shine into your heart and that He would give you strength to repent of your sins and to believe them all forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus. Then you also will have peace in the new year that has just begun, and the Sun of Righteousness, which rose to its glory on the cross of Calvary, will warmyour heart to sing His praise for the salvation of your soul throughout the new year. May the peace of God bein and with you all! Amen.
The late Andrew Mickelsen
Submitted by Joan Johnson
Astoria, Oregon
January 1962 CM

Jesus Calms Our Storms!

Greetings to all in the Name above all Names! Jesus Christ our Lord!

It is a beautiful day here in New Hampshire. It is cool this morning. About zero degrees Fahrenheit, which is -17.7 Celsius. However, this is warmer than it has been and the sun is shinning on the snow beautifully! God is so good! I will put a couple of pictures taken from my office so you can see! I know that many of you have never seen snow or ice. Do not feel sorry for us; just be in awe at what God can do. A month ago I was writing about the fierce ice storm we had that did so much damage. Today, life is back to normal and except for destroyed trees, you can hardly tell it happened.
Such are the storms of life. They too are passing.

This Sunday the text for my sermon in church was when Jesus and Peter walked on the water. What a wonderful Lord we have that He gives us these stories in His Word that we can rejoice in over and over. I am sure you are very familiar with this story in scripture. It is recorded in many of the Gospels. Here are a couple lessons that the Lord showed to me in this text. I was comforted again by Him, so I will attempt to share these with you. Due to lack of space on this blog, I will have to be very short.

Jesus constrained the disciples to get into the boat. He told them to get aboard. They obeyed. They were in His will. If they had disobeyed, they would not have gone into the boat; therefore they would have been outside of His will.

Now they were out in the middle of the sea. A storm came up! It was fierce, and the disciples were afraid. We also have storms that come up in our lives. We have fear, we worry. The sea here was the big problem the men in the boat were having. The sea was raging. It was a huge problem for them. What happened? The Lord Jesus came to them walking on the sea! He walked the problem that they were having. He had their troubles and problems under His feet! He is able to do the same for us. Scripture says: Psalm 8:6 (KJV)
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
This is stated in Ephesians and Corinthians as well in similar words.

All things are under his feet. The disciples in the boats problems were under His feet. When we turn to him in faith, our problems are also put under His Feet! What a joy that is! Our worst problems, fears, doubts, troubles, turmoil, everything, He is able to put under is feet. He is in control! Dear Reader, lay hold of this by faith. Put all your trust in Him for he cares for you!

Remember that the disciples got into the boat because Jesus told him to go. Let us also be obedient to His word! Jesus went up into the mountain to pray. Even when we are Christians, we will have storms in life. We all do. But does Jesus forget? Did He forget the disciples in the boat? No never! He was in the mountain praying for them! He cared for them so deeply. He also cares for us so much. Today He is as it were up on a mountain. He is up in Heaven on the right hand of God praying for us! He sees us. He cares for us! He is listening to our prayers. He knows how we are doing, and He wants the best for us! Let us remember to turn to Him in prayer often. He taught us to Pray by example even as we see in this story. Also, He is inside every believer today in the form of the Holy Spirit! What a comfort to have Him that close when the storms of life rage. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)
……for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. What a wonderful Savior we have! I wish we had room for more from this wonderful portion of scripture. You can find it in Mathew 14:22-33 and other places!

May each of us allow our Lord Jesus to calm our storm this week!!

Trust in the Lord

Hello and God’s Peace!

I pray that this Blog finds you all in the safe keeping of the Lord! No matter what our circumstances, His promises True and they are for each of us. Lean on the Promises of God throughout this week! Our message today will be by Pastor Rod Johnson. Before we get to that, I would like to remind you to visit our website often at www.themissionsite.com There you can view this blog, as well as the Latest FM News Blog. You can also go to links and work you way to some of our churches and you will be able to listen to sermons on line. For instance www.aalchurchma.org and www.alclakeworth.org are a couple of our churches, and from there you can link to many others. You can listen to live or archived sermons at most of these sites. Also, please sign up for skype sermons. Just email me at jthree16@comcast.net and I will put you on the list. We can deliver these over your cell phone which you can put by a microphone so your whole group can hear. In Christ! John Ruotsala FM Administrator Now, pastor Rod’s message!

Love and Trust The lord!
“Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

There are many lessons to be learned as we study the Holy Scripture. They all begin with TRUST and Love toward God. For us to rely upon the Bible, we must believe and thereby know that it is the inerrant Word of the Lord! Trusting the Word is essential to obtaining wisdom, for by it we know ‘The Christ’! Thus we see from the Proverbs above that when by God’s grace we come to love and trust the Lord, we can rely upon the result; He shall direct our ways!
The Lord knows that we often have worries and fears that make us anxious about many things. So, Jesus said, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself” Matt. 6:31,33-34
What is it to trust? It is simply to rely or depend upon! To ‘trust in the Lord’ is to commit your way unto Him, taking refuge in Him. “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.” Psalm 71:1. In the text proverb, we are shown the blessing of the Lord as He directs us in His paths, when we acknowledge Him, not leaning upon our own understanding. Life becomes very simple -- the basics bring contentment because of godliness, as the blessings of God’s grace.
Trusting in the Lord’s guidance and wisdom results in “health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” ProvERBS 3:8 The blessing of the Lord to those who live in love, peace and joy with contentment, is health to both the body and soul.
One of the most difficult areas of trusting the Lord in our lives is to commit our tithes and offerings to Him. This, we often think, may affect acquiring our daily bread, our ability to have what we want, and therefore it will diminish our pleasures of life. So we ‘lean upon our own understanding’ and attempt to manage our money according to our own wisdom. BUT the Lord says: “Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine”. Proverbs 3:9-10 and it is also written: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.” Ecclesiastes 11:1-2
With our limited understanding, or ability to see into the future, we are prone to worry and fear. BUT the blessing of the Lord promised here is that He will provide for our needs even as we pray, “give us this day our daily bread”. He is faithful! What blessings do we lose when we untrustingly rely upon our own judgment? We will never know, because we did not receive them!!! 2 Cor. 9:6-10 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously”. “God loves a cheerful giver.”
The Lord Jesus teaches us: “The world will know that you are My disciples because you love one another.” Our willingness to share with others is a vivid display of love. Providing the financial means to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others is a key expression of love, as it clearly displays to them the loving concern for their needs of body and soul. What we often hear from recipients of The Master’s Mission grant awards in their letters of appreciation is gratitude for the love of God shown to them. Thus the Psalmist wrote: “Let them (the redeemed) sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.” Psalm 107:22
· “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them who love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them.” Luke 6:31-32
· Isaiah 26:3-4 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
· Psalm 84:12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in Thee.
In the Love of God
In His Service,
God’s Peace!
Pastor Rod

Time is Passing!

Dear Readers!

God’s Peace and God’s Blessings to you in this New Year!

In our first conversation for this New Year, I will reflect upon the passing of time. It surely seems as though time is marching on so quickly. These years move by so quickly. I am now 48 years old. I can remember my childhood and growing up years as if it were yesterday. We each are getting older one day at a time. It will not be long before we will be of an age where we will be facing eternity for certain. We know we could face this day today or another other day. However, we know from experience that in this time, our Lord has seen fit to limit the age of man to usually no more that 100 years. Mostly though, it is between 70 and 90 years. This is if we are not stricken with all the numerous diseases, afflictions or accidents that beset man because of the sin that entered the world with Adam and Eve. These are the realities we face.

Probably the reason I am reflecting on this is because this week I will be attending two funerals of dear beloved elders. One of these that went to glory was the mother of Paul Somero, and mother in law of Pastor Jim Maunu and Pastor Orval Wirkkala who are all on the Foreign Mission board. She was 87. The other one is the Father of Pastor Colin Kinnunen who is also on the Foreign Mission board. He was 80. In both cases, it is very sad to see our elders pass on, but it is with great joy that we have the assurance that they are today in Glory in Heaven above. In Heaven there is no sorrow, no sadness or pain. There is no parting over there! They have joined even my earthly father in the singing and rejoicing that goes on continually before our Lord in Heaven. What a joy this reality is! I am sure they would not want to come back to this sin cursed earth. Rather, they will enjoy the presence of the Lord forever!

I am reminded of a song that we often sing here in the USA. Maybe you know it as well. The chorus goes, He could have called ten thousand angels, to destroy and world and set him free. He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone, for you and me.

I am rejoicing that the Lord gave up his life here on earth, after He had fulfilled the mission and tasks at hand. He did not call the angels down from heaven to help him. No He died alone for you and me. He gave up His own life, so we can have life eternal. He gave up His own life, so that He could win the victory for death, hell, and the power of the devil! He gave up His own life, so that now while He is in Heaven, He can send those angels to bring our loved ones up to Him for all eternity. This is what happened this week for our two beloved elders here in America. This is what happens to all those Christian everywhere that are believing by Faith in the complete Redemptive work of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let us praise and thank God that in His perfect plan, that through the eternal life giving work of His dear Son our Lord Jesus Christ, that there is a hope beyond this life. 2 Tim. 4:8 (KJV)
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

In the Eternal Name of Jesus

Yours in Christ! John Ruotsala

New Year Blessings!

Hello and God’s Richest Blessings to all!

Well, we have gone through another year. What a year it has been. There have been many changes and many interesting things that have happened, not all of them good. However, our Lord has kept us! Whatever came, he did not leave us. His word promises, Hebrews 13:5 … for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. We know from this promise, that he is going to be with us throughout the coming New Year! My prayer is that each one reading this would continue to believe by faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. He word says in 1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Such amazing words! Who would you rather be kept by? There is no other power on heaven and earth that can even come close to His power. We have His Word saying that He will keep us! Through faith unto salvation! And this faith is given by God. Ephes. 2:8 says
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: No beloved, there is nothing we can bring of our own that will merit us anything. Everything has been done, the victory is won. Let us go into this New Year knowing and understanding that ... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37 We must give all honor and glory to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Thank You Lord for watching over us again!

I pray that each of you will stay in His Word during the upcoming year, and lean entirely upon Him by Faith! I pray for your families, churches, congregations, loved ones, and especially for the masses that do not yet know Jesus. I pray that you would be able to minister in a way that they would be able to come to know and understand that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (KJV)

Oh that many new souls could believe the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus in this coming year. Oh that they could believe with all believers that as in Philip. 4:7 the promise is..
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

May this Peace be yours this New Year!

In His Service

John Ruotsala
Your Foreign Mission Administrator