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