Power of Prayers

Dear Weekly Readers!

I hope and trust that you all had a Blessed Christmas with your family, loved ones, and congregations.   It is my prayer that the Love of the Lord Jesus is shining brightly in each heart today and would continue to shine throughout the New Year.

This is such a wonderful time of year.  However, it can be so sad and lonely for so many people.  When there are events that take place such as what happened just two days before Christmas in our town.  A house started on fire, and a small child died, along with a 27 year old uncle who went to try to rescue the child.  Also, there are two other people still in comas from being in the fire. 

 

Such tragic events really make us sad, especially when they occur during such a happy time of year.   Even when such things happen at other times of the year, people can feel so sad for a long time after, and the joyous events are especially hard when remembering our loved ones who have passed.

So, if you have some pain and sadness to endure at this time, or if you are just anxious about the year ahead, the best thing I can think of in these situations is prayer.

The following is part of a letter about prayer that I received from one of our head pastors in Kenya, Africa!

Please be blessed by the writing below. 

May God Bless your week!   John R.

POWER OF PRAYERS

Praise God! My brethren in Christ, A man is more powerful when he/she is in prayer than when behind powerful guns ever developed. A nation too is more powerful when it unites in earnest prayer to God than when its resources are channeled into defensive weapons. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our redeemer and Savior, gave more encouragement to prayer. The followers of Christ were both encouraged to pray and were also taught how to pray.  They saw constantly the example he set in praying and noted that: - 

                                       

1. Jesus considered prayer more important than Food …Mark 1:35

2. Jesus considered prayer more important than the assembling of great throngs…. Luke 5:15-16

3. Jesus considered the precious hours of fellowship with His Heavenly Father meant much more than sleep…Luke 6:12

4. Jesus preyed at funerals and the dead were raised and prayed over the five loaves and two fishes, and a multitude was fed.

Brothers and sisters please don’t look down upon yourself or ask excuse questions, we are supposed to communicate with our creator with the only means of telephone called PRAYER.

When I read the bible I get great people successes came out through prayers.

A}. Noah obedience and prayerful earned him an ARK of deliverance.

B}. Moses prayed and God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

C}. Gideon prayed and a host of formidable enemy fled in fear

D}. Daniel prayed and the mouths of Lions were closed

E}. Elijah prayed and the fire of God consumed the sacrifice and licked up the water around the alter.

F}. David prayed and he defeated Goliath.

G}. The disciples and apostles prayed and the churches were born in Asia Minor and Europe, etc.

By this I mean all our problems can be answered through contact with our Almighty God. God does answer prayer….. (edited for length)

Please allow me to end in a challenging that: - SATAN TREMBLES WHEN HE SEES THE WEAKEST SAINT UPON HIS KNEES. So pray pray and I say pray Christian, PRAY.

SENIOR PASTOR TIMOTHY MUNDIAH

Unto Us a Child Is Born

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace!

I want to first thank you for all the prayers for our recent trip to Kenya, Africa.   The trip was most blessed!  I pray that the Lord would allow His Word to continue to work there in Kenya and wherever His Word is proclaimed!

 

This week we have an article by John Newton.   Please enjoy!     May God Bless your week!  John R

Unto Us a Child is Born!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Such was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded

upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations of the faithful unchangeable God as already accomplished, though the actual performance respected a period, as yet, future and distant. Believers under that dispensation already felt the influence of the redemption which MESSIAH was to consummate in the fullness of time.

It was the knowledge of His engagement on the behalf of sinners that gave life and significance to all the institutions of the ceremonial law which otherwise, though of divine appointment, would have been a heavy and burdensome yoke (Acts 15:10). Isaiah therefore prepares his joyful song for the true servants of God who lived in his time; and though it was a day of trial and rebuke, they were provided with sufficient compensation for all their sufferings, being warranted to say, Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder…

This ancient song is still new. It has been, and will be, taken up from age to age by the New Testament Church, with superior advantage. I trust many of you understand it well, and rejoice in it daily. Men naturally look for something wherein to rejoice and glory. Little reason have the wise to glory in their supposed wisdom, or the strong in their fading strength, or the rich in their transitory wealth (Jeremiah 9:23); but this is a just and unfailing ground of glory to true Christians, that,

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given...

John Newton

Heralds of creation, cry!

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, the Lord most high!

Heaven and earth! obey the call,

Praise the Lord, the Lord of all.

For He spake, and forth from night

Sprang the universe to light:

He commanded, nature heard,

And stood fast upon His Word.

Praise Him, all ye hosts above,

Spirits perfected in love;

Sun and moon! your voices raise,

Sing, ye stars! your Maker's praise.

Kings! your Sovereign serve with awe;

Judges! own His righteous law;

Princes! worship Him with fear;

Bow the knee, all people! here.

High above all height His throne,

Excellent His name alone;

Him let all His works confess,

Him let every being bless.

James Montgomery

Grieve Not the Holy Spirit

Dear Weekly Readers!

Later this week the group of six missionaries, including myself, are planning on returning from Africa.   We surely ask for your prayers for both safe travels, as well as that the work done on this trip would be blessed by the Holy Spirit of God! 

Please enjoy two short articles by Charles Spurgeon.

May God Bless your week!  John R.

 

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit."
Ephesians 4:30

All that the believer has must come from Christ, but it comes solely through the channel of the Spirit of grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus flow to you through the Holy Spirit, so also no good thing can come out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act, apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit.

Even if the good seed be sown in you, yet it lies dormant except he worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Do you desire to speak for Jesus--how can you unless the Holy Ghost touch your tongue? Do you desire to pray? Alas! what dull work it is unless the Spirit maketh intercession for you! Do you desire to subdue sin? Would you be holy? Would you imitate your Master? Do you desire to rise to superlative heights of spirituality?

Are you wanting to be made like the angels of God, full of zeal and ardour for the Master's cause? You cannot without the Spirit--"Without me ye can do nothing." O branch of the vine, thou canst have no fruit without the sap! O child of God, thou hast no life within thee apart from the life which God gives thee through his Spirit! Then let us not grieve him or provoke him to anger by our sin. Let us not quench him in one of his faintest motions in our soul; let us foster every suggestion, and be ready to obey every prompting.

If the Holy Spirit be indeed so mighty, let us attempt nothing without him; let us begin no project, and carry on no enterprise, and conclude no transaction, without imploring his blessing. Let us do him the due homage of feeling our entire weakness apart from him, and then depending alone upon him, having this for our prayer, "Open thou my heart and my whole being to thine incoming, and uphold me with thy free Spirit when I shall have received that Spirit in my inward parts."

 

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"Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him."
John 12:2

He is to be envied. It was well to be Martha and serve, but better to be Lazarus and commune. There are times for each purpose, and each is comely in its season, but none of the trees of the garden yield such clusters as the vine of fellowship. To sit with Jesus, to hear his words, to mark his acts, and receive his smiles, was such a favour as must have made Lazarus as happy as the angels. When it has been our happy lot to feast with our Beloved in his banqueting-hall, we would not have given half a sigh for all the kingdoms of the world, if so much breath could have bought them.

He is to be imitated. It would have been a strange thing if Lazarus had not been at the table where Jesus was, for he had been dead, and Jesus had raised him. For the risen one to be absent when the Lord who gave him life was at his house, would have been ungrateful indeed.

We too were once dead, yea, and like Lazarus stinking in the grave of sin; Jesus raised us, and by his life we live--can we be content to live at a distance from him? Do we omit to remember him at his table, where he deigns to feast with his brethren?

Oh, this is cruel! It behoves us to repent, and do as he has bidden us, for his least wish should be law to us. To have lived without constant intercourse with one of whom the Jews said, "Behold how he loved him," would have been disgraceful to Lazarus; is it excusable in us whom Jesus has loved with an everlasting love?

To have been cold to him who wept over his lifeless corpse, would have argued great brutishness in Lazarus. What does it argue in us over whom the Saviour has not only wept, but bled? Come, brethren, who read this portion, let us return unto our heavenly Bridegroom, and ask for his Spirit that we may be on terms of closer intimacy with him, and henceforth sit at the table with him.

Charles Sprugeon

The Faithfulness of God

Dear Weekly Readers!

This week I am asking for prayers for safety and that Jesus may be lifted up and preached, to the Glory of God, as I am currently with a mission team on a trip into Africa. 

 

May the Holy Spirit lead us on this trip, and may all of us be obedient to His Word wherever we are!

This week our article is written by Pastor Orval Wirkkala.

May God Bless your week!  John R.

The Faithfulness of God
We read of the faithfulness of God in the past, we witness His faithfulness in the lives of those around us today and therefore, we are convinced that His faithfulness is a future reality. We know that He loves us and as a result of His love toward us, we are now an extension of God's love for the world. Therefore, life's experiences offer us opportunity to demonstrate God's love to the world. It is by believing who God has made us to be that we are enabled to live our lives this present world. This is called living faith.

KJV Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

In our lives today, we are surrounded by people who trust in the same God that Abraham and Sara trusted and therefore, we seek the same city that that those who lived before us sought. In spite of obstacles that come before us in this present world, we look into the future as being an expected reality. Here is the testimony of a dear sister in the congregation in which I serve.

"Early mornings is a time for me to read God's Word before all the "demands" and "noises" of the day find their way into our minds. One particular quiet morning, I was stopped by a clear voice saying, "Do not be afraid." Puzzled, I sat wondering, then put it in the back of my mind. Sometime later, a week, maybe, I discovered a foreign mass in my body. After all the tests, it was revealed to be cancer. The words resurfaced, "Do not be afraid."......Lord, I am afraid! Fear came in waves over me, but above it was the Voice: "Do not be afraid."
"How often in God's Word are we reminded of this. God always goes before us and holds us in the palm of His hand. Sickness, diseases, and trials are no surprise to Him. They all work to bring us closer to work out His will in our lives."

Jesus says today, "Come to Me, you are are weary and afraid, I will give you strength and courage to face this, too."

"He lifts the gloom and sends rays of hope and peace to our hearts. One day we will exchange these earthly bodies to glorified ones where no aches or diseases will touch us. We will praise Him with new tongues and sing with all the saints in glory: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. Praise be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Ghost".
And she leaves us with this encouragement from the psalms....
Psalm 5:11 "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defends them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass or crown him as with a shield
."
We thank her for blessing us through the sharing of her life with us, which is the life of Christ in her, that which the Apostle Paul wrote of.. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Through testimonies of God's people from the past as well as from today of the faithfulness of God toward them, we are encouraged to press forward to the prize of the high calling for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) Let us press on, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, and to the One who has promised to complete that which He has begun in us, even the salvation of our souls.

Together, let us press onward..................only time is between us and our heavenly reward....

God's Peace!
Pastor Orval Wirkkala

Our Firm Foundation

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace!  The past couple weeks have brought us many large events in this world.  First we had the hurricane in the USA in its most populated place, New York City.  Then we had our elections and the Christians and the business people in the USA view the results as very bad and troubling.  Also, we had a cyclone hit in the areas that we have churches and fellowship with in India.

All of these events make us once again realize that we have very little power in this life.  It also should make us take a new and fresh look at our Foundation and our life.  Is our house of faith built on the one and only firm foundation, Jesus Christ, and are we living our life on the Rock, Jesus?

Let us look briefly into scriptures with this in mind this week!  May God Bless your week!

John

Our Firm Foundation, Living our Life on the Rock

Text: Luke 6:46-49

⁴⁶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
⁴⁷ Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
⁴⁸ He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
⁴⁹ But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Jesus is teaching here right after He taught about the good trees bearing good fruit.  Now Jesus is saying that some people call out "Lord, Lord," and do not the things that he says.  Let us hear the words in James 1:22:  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Talk is cheap and easy, and so many engage in it, but do we actually follow the Word of God, and what Jesus would have us to do? The people repeated Lord, Lord, for emphasis, but it is not in vain repetitions, but rather in following the One that is the Way, the Truth and the Life!  Let us not be deceived by the many in our world today that can say nice things, but the life that they live does not serve the Lord.  Let us also not be such peoples.

Romans 5:1:  Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible also says in James: 2:26:  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Are these two statements contradictory?  No.  The Bible is the infallible Word of God and does not contradict nor be in error.  I believe what is being shown to us is that we are justified only by faith, but that when one has faith, then works will also be present.  The Faith must be first, be living, be present, and then when it is, God will work through His believers so that others can also then be blessed, called, and welcomed to Come and DINE!  Jesus has done it all, all to Him I owe.  The feast is ready, the table is prepared; come to the Saviour, Come TODAY! Please read Hebrews chapter 11 to be reminded that our forefathers in Faith believed!

O dear reader, do not follow the strange voices that can be heard today, but rather as we see in John 10:27:  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me...

Let us move on in our text.  ⁴⁸ He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

What is our foundation?  1 Corinthians 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay that this is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Already many years before Jesus came to earth it was written in Isaiah 28:16:  Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

If we have Jesus and His complete redemptive saving work as our Foundation, then when the storms come, we will not fall.  Even the gates of hell cannot prevail over our Lord Jesus and what He has done on the cross for us!

Let us make sure we are not getting sidetracked and building on man’s foundations such as worldly pleasures, wealth and prosperity, people and relationships, the outward church or even attending it and going through all of its customs.  Let us not put our faith or our foundations in a preacher, or in the arm of the flesh, in strength, military might, or governments.  All of these things will eventually fail us.  While some of these things are surely right and good in their proper place, we must not have our foundation or our trust built upon these things.  Our trust must be firmly and solidly upon our Lord Jesus Christ!

When we build our house of faith on the Rock, Jesus Christ, we will be cemented into place by the Power of God, the Holy Spirit.  When we are building with bricks or stones a natural house, we know that the mortar holds stones in place.  Let us see the mortar as the Love of God, holding us as the Living stones together!  As you know, mortar will not stick to dirty bricks or stones.  They must be clean.  This is a clear picture that man needs to be washed and cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ before we can be fit together upon the firm foundation!

Dear sinners, both believers and unbelievers, believe that the blood of Jesus cleanses you and makes you whiter than snow.  Let the Blood of Jesus be your everlasting stream of life that will keep you clean and ready to be fit and firm on the Rock Jesus!  Lord, make us into your saints so we can be part of the building as stated in Ephesians 2:21:  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord...

O Lord, mold us and make us into all thou would have us to be!  We desire to serve thee, and to dwell in Thy House, O Lord.  Set our feet upon the Rock of our Salvation, Jesus Christ!

May God Bless your Week!

John R. 

Psalm 18:1-2  I will love thee, O Lord, my Strength.  The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom will I trust; my buckler, and the horn of my Salvation, and my high tower.

The House of the Lord

Dear Weekly Readers! 

This week our article is written by Pastor Ken Storm!

I was glad when they said unto me,

Let us go into the house of the LORD.      Psalm 122:1

Have you ever given serious thought to what a blessing it is to go into our own church or

meeting place to hear God's Word read and preached? Are we sometimes guilty of taking these

opportunities for granted? What if some day suddenly the opportunity was taken away because of debilitating illness, accident, governmental decree, terrorism or some other circumstance? Would we miss gathering in worship as we do today and reflect with longing hearts for the return of these blessed times of refreshing?

Everything as we know it today can change so quickly and with such devastating results. The one

thing that will never change, however, is God's Word. It will remain the same forever. For this we give thanks.

Today, let us stop and consider the reality of life's uncertainties and examine our own hearts in the light of those truths. Can we honestly say, with David, that we are glad when we can go into the house of the Lord, or do we find that sometimes we treat this God-given privilege with indifference, or even as something being imposed upon us? Do we find ourselves grudgingly attending the worship of God out of concern for what others might think of our absence?

Do we seek excuses for not attending? Such excuses as: nobody cares for me anyway; I'm tired; I have a headache; I couldn't wake up on time; I don't get anything out of the sermon; I can't afford to support the Lord's work; there's no love there. The list of excuses seems endless, but let us recognize they all originate from one source: the devil, who feverishly wants to destroy the living faith from our hearts. He knows that the Scriptures teach …faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Let us not be deceived, dear friend. Our feeble excuses do not impress God nor are they valid in His sight. They only serve to provide inroads for Satan to accomplish his evil work. May we then, as God's children, pray to God for faithful hearts, that He would stir within all of us a true hungering and thirsting for His Word and a fervent desire to always be gathered in the assembly of His children. With faithful obedience, let us apply His Word to our own hearts as we are instructed: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

With humbled hearts may we thank God for His goodness and mercy which endures forever. Let us

earnestly pray that He would show us even more clearly the many blessings He has given us, among them the great blessing of having the opportunity to gather in His house to study the Scriptures together and to worship Him with prayer, praise and thanksgiving.

Pray, dear friend, that within all our hearts we could truly say with David: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Here in the house of the Lord the children of His kingdom gather; here in His kingdom the precious blood of Jesus speaks grace and forgiveness for all our sin. Oh, let our hearts rejoice and our prayers of thanks be unending for Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high.  (Psalm 113:5) ~

 May the Lord Bless your Week!

Pastor Ken Storm

Beliefs of Apostolic Lutheran Faith

Dear Weekly Readers!

This week I am using an article which was published in our church’s monthly publication in the USA and was written by E. Bisila.  Please enjoy!

May God Bless Your Week!  JR

Someone who is not familiar with the Apostolic Lutheran faith may ask how we differ from other denominations, especially other Lutheran churches. We have similar beliefs in many areas with certain other faiths.

We also have differences. If there were no differences, it would be an easy choice to belong to any church. I will not discuss differences here, but perhaps it would be profitable to tell those who inquire what, as a Christian in the Apostolic Lutheran faith, has been revealed to me. It is not my intention to judge others who confess to be believers. We have One Who is all-knowing and in a position to do so without error.

• The Bible is the holy and inspired Word of God. 2Timothy 3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. See also 2 Peter 1:19-21.

• I believe in the triune Godhead: God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said: I and my Father are one. (John 10:30) He (Jesus) breathed on them (His disciples), and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. (John 20:22) He also gives us His Spirit. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)

• I believe in the need for the preaching of repentance from unbelief and consequent sin, and in redemption by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Jesus said: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:15) As it is written, There is none righteous, no,not one. (Romans 3:10) See also Luke 13:3-5; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Jeremiah 17:9.

• Unbelief and resulting sin separate us from God but He has provided a remedy in Christ. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

• The shed blood of Christ is the only means of redemption and reconciliation with God. In whom (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:7) See also Acts 4:12; John 14:6.

• The office of the laying on of hands for the forgiveness of sins in the name and atoning blood of Jesus was given to the Church. The Holy Spirit is given to us and dwells within us. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. (Acts 8:14-17) Then said Jesus to them (His disciples) again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. (John 20:21-23) See also Luke 24: 47-48; Acts 13:37-39.

• Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy: Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:13-16) See also 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

• By the indwelling Spirit the believer has a desire to seek to do the will of God and live a life separate from the world. 1 John 2:15-17 says: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. See also Matthew 6:19-21; Romans14:7-8. Our dear elder pastor said in a sermon that the kingdom of God is a hospital for sinners, not a playground for Christians.

• I acknowledge that I am a sinner, mercifully redeemed by grace in the name of Christ and washed in His precious atoning blood. Therein is the reason for my peace with God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:7)

God's peace. E.Bisila 

Refuge in the Word

Dear Weekly Readers! 

God’s Peace be with you! 

I am sure many of you have heard of the terrible storm that has hit the USA.   Many people have died, and billions of dollars of damage has been caused.   Millions of people are without power, and the weather is now cold.  There is much suffering.  In my area, the storm was not too bad.  We lost electricity for about 24 hours, but otherwise not much damage was done.  

Please pray for all the people suffering due to this storm.  Also, please pray for the elections that we have coming up next Tuesday.  We need Godly leaders.

May God Bless your week! John R. 

Refuge in the Word

Jesus is a pattern for us in everything.

We learn about Him in the natural and spiritual things of life. After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, He immediately came up out of the water, and heaven opened to Him and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested on Him. The voice of God came from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

This voice is the Holy Spirit that lives within us. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased"

is our spiritual foundation for both this life and for eternity, and was the introduction to what the Spirit was going to do next in Jesus' life. After He was baptized, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The Spirit of God may also lead us into a lifeless, barren and empty wilderness.

 In Matthew 4:2 we read: And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. Jesus spent this time thinking prayerfully about the meaning of the foundational words, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." God is able to reveal the meaning of those words. In fact, all Scripture is revealed in that statement. It is the great grace of God and the Holy Scripture that reveals why we are beloved and why He is well pleased with us.

As we are strengthened in the knowledge and understanding of those words, we become better prepared to meet the tempter (devil) when he comes against us. Like he did with Jesus in the wilderness, first he tempts us with bread (earthly things), saying, "Eat, and you will become fulfilled and satisfied." We know things won't satisfy. Jesus directed Satan to the Living God, and Satan immediately gave up.

Next, Satan brought Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and stated, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down and the angels will come to Your aid." Again Jesus said, "It is written, thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God." Finally the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would bow down and worship him. Jesus again directed Satan to God's Word: "It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve."

Satan fled from the Word of God. You and I take refuge in the revealed Word of God. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is strengthened when we spend time in prayer and meditate on the Word of God. While preparing for service in the kingdom of God, we must first learn to live in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us grow in faith by learning more about the Living Lord Jesus. Then He will be best able to use us in the service of His kingdom.

May the Lord bless you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pastor Ansten Tretten

Wait on the Lord

Dear Weekly Readers!

God has granted us with another week according to His Great Grace!  

Is it not amazing that with as complex of a world we live in, as delicate our ecosystem is, how tiny according to the scope of the entire universe our world is, that He has safely led us through another week?  Dear readers, God cares about you!

God knows our troubles and problems.  God knows what we have gone through in the last week, and what is ahead!  Let us trust in Him for everything!

Last week we began speaking about Isaiah chapter 40.  I would like to continue in that same chapter this week.  We will pick up in Verse 4:  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.  How has your life been?  Has it been perfect, without pain or suffering?  Do you sometimes feel very low, in a valley?  As though life seems to be very dark, full of worry and yes even doubt?  Does it seem like the path forward is just too hard?  

Let us remember what is stated in Psalm 23.  It says:  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Notice it says "through the valley of the shadow of death".  That means through, not just up to the valley.  You see, God will not leave us comfortless; He will lead us through the hard times, even when we lose loved ones, or we fear for our very own life.  He will lead us through!

David wrote this from experience.  He had many trials in his life.  Do you remember the Lion and the Bear?  How about Goliath?   God won these battles for David, just like He can and will win our battles if we turn everything over into His care and keeping!  We need not fear evil.  Jesus conquered death, hell, and the power of the devil when He died on the cross for our sin, and arose victorious!  The Lord Jesus is our mighty conqueror!  He HAS won!  Believe it!!

We also see in this verse 4 in our text that "the mountains and hills shall be made low"! This is very important to remember! Let us not begin to get proud and mighty in our own strength and abilities. We have absolutely no strength except that which is given of God. We have none! He has it all. Let us be humble and not proud!

Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Our life here on earth is so very short. Verse 6:  All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field…  Verse 8:  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever!  We see how short we live!  Even the oldest and the greatest of all men are here on earth for only a very short time.  Like a wave of the hand!  Like grass, here, then gone!  But God’s Word shall stand forever!

Are we standing on the firm foundation of God’s Word today?  Do we believe in His promises for us?  Do we know and believe by faith that the blood of Jesus washes our sins away so that we are pure white and perfect in His sight?  Believe this, dear reader!  God’s Word says it is true!

When we believe in the Power of His Name and Blood, and are resting in the assurance of our salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit given to us by victorious, risen, and living Lord Jesus Christ, we have the victory!  The victory that has been won is ours!  May God be praised!

Let us wait on the Lord!  We read in our chapter 40 the last verse:  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint!  Let us wait on the Lord for He shall give us strength!  Wait on the Lord.  The last shall be first!  Let us soar in joy, liberty and peace, knowing that Jesus has won the victory for us!  Be renewed today in your strength in the Lord Jesus!  He has made us more than conquerors!

Rejoice, and again I say, Rejoice! 

May God Bless your week!  John R.

Words of Comfort

Dear Weekly Readers!  

May  we know today the Power of God in each of our lives!

Today I would like to draw your attention  to a couple verses  found in the Book of Isaiah and in the 40^th chapter.

Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people, saith your God.

The 40^th chapter is as it were the beginning of the Gospel story as written by Isaiah.   This wonderful book has 66 chapters, which is the same as the Bible.   There are 39 chapters before it, the same as the Old Testament, and  then 27 chapters after, including this chapter.  It is amazing how God has allowed this to be such a great picture to us, even showing us in this one book of Isaiah a glimpse of His complete Salvation story for us!

Comfort ye...

These words were written not only for God’s people of that day who Isaiah was surely addressing, but I believe a very much broader audience was intended, including each of us today.  Do you ever feel you need words of comfort? I know I do!  Are you ever worried about the future, wondering how there will be enough money to pay the bills or enough food to feed the family?  Do you have sickness in your family or children not believing in Jesus Christ as their Saviour?  Do you have neighbors and friends you love who are backsliding, or refusing God’s free gift of salvation?  The Word of God says be Comforted!  As Christians we have no need to be worried!  Apostle Paul said:  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (2 Corinth. 4:8)

Who then should be comforted?  My People!  God calls His believers My People!  There is no getting around the fact that a true meaningful comfort is only available to those who are the ones believing by faith.  How amazing it is to be called by God, MY PEOPLE!  O what joy this should instill in our hearts!  God knows us, we are His!  We are a child of THE KING!  The one who made the entire universe and all that is in it!  We are HIS!  It says in 1 Peter 1:5 that believers are those:  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. There is no other power by which I want to be kept than by the Power of God!

Let us now look at who are the ones God calls MY People, the ones to be comforted!  The very next verse, Isaiah 40:2 says: Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.  These are the ones to be comforted, those who believe in the power of the cross of Jesus Christ! 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

It is so very clear that Isaiah is here talking about the Saviour, our Lord Jesus, who paid the price so that we can be saved.  We also know that God created all peoples, and that Jesus came to die for all peoples, but some people have not turned to Him in repentance unto faith.  In the first chapter of Isaiah it says this: ¹⁸ 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.¹⁹ If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:²⁰ But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Let us not be ones that refuse to be Comforted!  Also, let us not be ones that look for comfort in any other place than Jesus.  Let me give you a brief natural example of comforting words that do not work.  Let us say that a man owes the bank much money on his home.  The man gets hurt and cannot work, so he is many months behind on payments.  If we go to this man and say, be comforted, and tell him all will be fine, will he be comforted?  No, he will not be since we do not have the power to release him of that bill, only the banker does.  However, if the banker came and pardoned the debt, this man would surely be very comforted and  joyful!

Let us know and understand who is the one that has pardoned our sins!  Let us be comforted in the proper way, by the power of the Name and Blood of Jesus!  If we do not believe that our sins are washed away in the blood of the Lamb and that we are made white as snow, Lord, give us the strength to repent and believe in this Saviour and in all the redemptive work that He has done for each of us.  It says in Revelation 7:14:  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It was for me He died!  For me!  O that each could believe this by faith, and be open and available to be truly comforted!  Lord allow us to believe Thy Holy Word and in Thy Son Jesus Christ for our salvation.

2 Timothy 1:8:  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God...

Today is the day of Grace!  Today is the acceptable day!  Come and Dine on the feast Jesus has prepared for His own!

Our space is filled up for this week, but if the Lord wills, I would love to share more from this wonderful chapter in a future week.

May God Bless your week!   John R.

Why Does Our Church Baptize Babies?

Dear Weekly Readers!

May the Grace, Mercy, and Peace of God our Father, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be with you today and always!  May God grant even those reading that are not yet believers the Grace to repent (change direction from one’s own ways to the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus Christ) and to believe by faith that through the Powerful Name of Jesus and by the Power of His Blood, Sins are Forgiven!

O what joy is available for those that are able to hear!  We know as it says in 1 Peter 5:7,   "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."  We can rest in this assurance. He cares.
Today I thought I would share with you a very brief article written by one of our board members. The topic is very fitting when we speak of Faith, and Repentance. The topic is Baptism.

We know and understand that this Sacrament of God has very deep spiritual and wondrous powers that our carnal minds cannot understand. It has a power that mere words cannot even express. We are so thankful that our God is so mighty and powerful that He can work in powerful ways through this Sacrament that we cannot understand with our carnal minds. Baptism is surely a big topic, but this short article and the links provided will give a glimpse into it. Baptism is surely a blessing and we are so thankful for it.

Have a blessed week!  John

Why Does Our Church Baptize Babies?

This is a very good question and worthy of a sound, biblical response. May God help me as I endeavor to respond to this question with as much clarity as I can.

Why do we baptize?

The Lord Jesus gave this instruction to His disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:19-20). We baptize out of obedience to this command/instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is baptism for?

Our Lord Jesus taught His disciples the following: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). Notice in this text that believing is the essential item for salvation (and not water baptism). We thus conclude that baptism is for the believer.

Do little children believe?

Jesus again taught His disciples: "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven… And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me…" (Matthew 18:3, 5-6). Jesus here gave the testimony that little children do believe in Him.

Therefore, in summary, we baptize in obedience to the Lord's command; we baptize those who believe, according to the Lord's instruction, and children do believe, according to the Lord's teaching.

So, we baptize all who believe, young and old alike. Some have reasoned in their minds that, because babies cannot understand this water baptism, they should wait until they are old enough to fully comprehend with their own minds. I understand that logic, but the Word teaches us: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…" (Romans 10:10).

Faith is a God-given substance, not something that we develop by our own human intellect. God has given faith to children as well as adults. Faith is not a matter of the carnal mind. The Apostle Paul teaches us that "the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you…" (Romans 8:7-9).

The Apostle John has written in his first epistle: "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake" (1 John 2:12). And in verse 13 of that second chapter "…I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father."

The Lord has clearly accepted little children into the household of faith, and so do we! Therefore, we baptize them, not to become God's children, but because they are God's children. In the time of Jesus, even the disciples had similar reasoning as some today. "And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer (allow) little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:15-16).

Remember, also, that God commanded Abraham to circumcise baby boys at eight days old as a token of His covenant.

For further information on this subject, see the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ as taught in the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America, pages 15-17, or online at apostoliclutheran.org/doctrine.php.

Sincerely and in the spirit of prayer,  Pastor Scott Niemitalo