God Uses Man

Dear Weekly Readers!  God’s Peace!

God uses Man!

At the time of creation, when God wanted someone to look after the Garden of Eden, and the animals, and all of His creation, He used Adam and Eve.

At the time of the great flood, God used Noah to build the ark, so that the people that turned toward God would have a place of refuge! 

At the time that the children of Israel were held in Egypt in bondage, God used Moses to lead them out of that very difficult situation.

When the children of Israel needed to be led into the Promised Land, God used Joshua (a picture of Jesus) to lead them across the River Jordan into the Promised Land.

When God sent His own Son into this world, He used Mary to give birth and Mary and Joseph to care for Him.

When God sent His Holy Spirit into this world (fulfilling the promise of our Lord Jesus), He gave it to the Disciples, and then to thousands of people at the day of Pentecost.

When God wanted His Word preached on this earth, He sent preachers that possessed this Holy Spirit to preach His Word.  1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

This all brings us to today.  God’s work needs to continue on.  Where do you and I fit in? Does God still use sinful men to do His work?  Are we willing and obedient to do the work that God wants us to do?   

These are some of the questions that we can ask ourselves each day. 

Remember that the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 9: 37:38 … The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. 

So, what are we to do?  Pray.  Jesus said to Pray.  Then God’s Word says in Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Oh that we would humbly come before God and say with the Prophet Isaiah; …..Here am I; send me.

If God chooses to use us, let us be willing and obedient to His calling! 

Romans 12: The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Let us not let the darkness of this world distract us from the work of the Lord!  Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven!

Amen, 

May God Bless your week!  John R.

Of New Birth, Baptism and Children

Dear Weekly Readers!   God’s Peace!

One of the topics that was part of the Pastors training on a mission trip lately was Baptism.  This is a very important Sacrament in the Christian Church.   However, many people are confused by this issue.   Please enjoy the well-written article below by Pastor Steve Wouri.  

Lord willing, I will share more on this topic in coming weeks as well. 

May God Bless your week!
 

Of New Birth, Baptism and Children

      The history of the Christian church has often been marked by discussions, disagreements and divisions over points of scripture and interpretations of the will of Godin certain areas. One of these concerns the question of whether infants and young children are children of God from the womb, or are in need of a “new birth” experience. This leads further to the matter of baptism - should it be performed on infants or must some adult comprehension or decision be involved? I believe we can come to a clear understanding through study of God’s word as expressed in both the Old and New Testaments.

      The Word makes abundantly clear that Jesus is a lover of children. He would often hold a young child and use the child as an example of faith and a proper heart condition to those who were assembled to hear Him. In Mark 10, Jesus gathered children to himself, “...took them up in His arms, and blessed them”. In this way He was claiming them as His own, putting His blessing upon them, making it clear that in His eyes, they belonged to Him. We see abundant and unconditional love of God demonstrated through this simple and forceful act of Jesus, for He claimed them without regard to their lineage, the condition of their parents, or even their own thoughts, Jesus’ blood was shed for all, and He was that Light described in John 1. “...that lighteth every man that  cometh into the world.” Jesus could therefore claim any child as His own, knowing that He would die to save them, and knowing that they belong to no one else.

      God has also always instructed that His children be marked with the seal of His love at a young age. This was accomplished through circumcision in the Old Testament, and is accomplished  through baptism in the New. Hebrew parents were instructed to bring their male children to be physically circumcised and named on the eighth day after their birth. Genesis 17: 11-12, “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.”  Luke 2:21, “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, His name was called Jesus,...”.

 In the New Testament, baptism (understood to be the visible sacrament of baptism with water) is to be applied soon after one becomes a believer. In Matthew 28:19 we read,“ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”  Recall that the first desire of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) after he became a believer was to be baptized by Philip with water, and Acts contains several other examples of people being baptized unto Jesus Christ immediately after they believed. So, if baptism is to be performed soon after faith comes, where does that leave an infant?

      It cannot be emphasized forcefully enough that all people are children of God ( believers by faith in Christ) in the womb. The reaction of John the Baptist, who leapt for joy in his mother’s womb upon hearing of Jesus in the salutation of Mary, is an example. Luke 1:41 “And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:” , is a vivid depiction of how even the unborn , with no capacity for thought or reason, respond by faith to the love message of their Creator. To suggest otherwise is to imply that all, or some unborn are children of the devil. This is impossible, as the devil has no ability to create life, and he only accumulates children who fall from faith into unbelief at some point (perhaps years) after birth.

      The newborn, however , is a believing child of God to whom the covenant of baptism applies,  and this covenant has nothing to do with the opinion or decision-making ability of the child! The Hebrew children were not asked for their views on whether they should be circumcised (marked), Jesus did not ask the children if they wanted to be blessed, and we are not to be concerned about whether an infant wishes to be baptized (marked). Why? Because it is entirely the work of God, who marks children as belonging to Himself with a seal that is good for life. In other words, God’s view of the child is constant and unchanging, even if the covenant is later broken through adult unbelief, it is clear that God did not break it.

The beauty of infant baptism is that it is applied when man is at his most helpless and incapable state, leaving the work entirely in the hands of God. Baptism has also been properly compared to the natural example of branding of a calf in a cattle herd - the calf will forever carry the mark of original ownership, though it may later go to another master. As Luther noted, “to suggest that an adult decision is required for baptism contorts the Sacrament, converting it from the work of God into the work of man.” Baptism, once applied, is valid for life, and there is no need to repeat it in adulthood.

      This also clarifies who is in need of new birth, or being “born again”. New birth is only required in those who are dead spiritually, those whose spiritual portion, which was alive at birth, has starve, withered and died through lack of nourishment. This can occur at any point after birth, and one who has lost their pure God-given faith in Christ must be reborn. Such was the state of the Jewish leader Nicodemus and those he represented, and Jesus admonished him “... ye must be born again.” John 3:7 We cannot, however, require new birth of a childhood Christian, one who has never denied nor lost their faith. No spiritual death has occurred, and therefore it is not possible to require new birth. Such a requirement is a heavy burden of man and is not edifying to the believer. I believe that childhood Christians do,and must, and will experience a “ piercing of the soul”, similar to that which Mary experienced (Luke 2:35), wherein the fallen condition of our flesh,our own failures, forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ are brought home to the heart in a very personal and special way. It is impossible to assess at what age this should happen, and we must therefore leave the timing of such an experience in the hands of God. He is faithful, and may His Word ever be a blessing among His people.

In Christ

Stephen J. Wuori  Calgary, Alberta, Canada

 

The Word of God

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace!

The Bible! There never has been and never will be a more important book.  The Bible is so much more than a book; it is food for the soul!  Let us think about this for a few short moments today.

Below is a short article about the Bible by a Foreign Mission Board member Shane Juuti. 

May God Bless your Week!  John R.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS that we, as Christians, need to answer for ourselves, and believe the answers so completely that we can live by them with confidence.

The first question we need to answer is this: Is the Word of God inerrant? Is the Word of God the only truth, with no errors?

If we do believe this to be true, let's ask ourselves this second question: Do we believe that the Word of God is sufficient for us? Is the Bible enough for us to live by, or do we need to add to it from man's understanding in order to deal with certain situations?

In John 14:26, we read, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

How many of us trust these words, and live accordingly? Do we read the Bible believing that it is the truth of Christ, from God? Do we trust that the Holy Spirit can, and will, bring these truths to our minds when it is best and necessary for each of us? Can we trust that it is only the Holy Spirit that reveals and teaches the truths of Scripture, and that we can have more confidence in the Word than in any study Bible (that may be some man's idea of what a portion of Scripture means)?

If we are struggling with certain verses, let us look into other ones. Scripture can always be backed up with Scripture. If we have the Holy Spirit, we can trust that it will reveal what is meant by a portion of the Word when we need it. Do we need self-help books to aid us? Or is the best and only self-help book we really need the Holy Bible?

Is the Word of God really hard to understand, or is it too clear, and our flesh doesn't want to listen?

Let us pray that God will reveal how truly sufficient His Word is for all our needs. May He graciously give us faith to trust the guiding of His Spirit, through the Word, in all things. Our hearts will be filled with God's peace. ~

Pray for the Harvest

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace!

I am so thankful  for all of your prayers for our recent trip to India.  God has greatly blessed us on this trip, and we are so humbled to have the privilege of being a small part of the work of the Lord in India and around the world.

To all of the readers from India that we were not able to visit, I am truly sorry.  It was impossible to make it to all the places that we should go with the time and money we had available.  However, we know that if God wills us to come visit you in the future, it will happen. Therefore, we wait on the Lord. 

For this week’s and next week’s articles for this Weekly Diner, I want to share of two of the most memorable events of the trip to India.   God is good! 

John 16:26: At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 

Often times on mission trips around the world, we are asked to pray for people along the way.  It is such an honor to pray for someone in Jesus name, since we know that Jesus is alive and is our intercessor before the Father with all of these prayers.

During a particularly busy time in India, while we were conducting pastor’s seminars and medical clinics at the same time, I was passing from one to the other with our host pastor.  As we passed by a particular place of business, the pastor suddenly slowed down the motorbike and told me that we should go pray for the lady in that store.   He had noticed her standing there alone, so the thought came that it is a good time to pray for and with her.

As we approached the store, I was told very briefly of her circumstances.   This lady has a very strict non-Christian Hindu husband who will not allow his wife, who confesses Jesus Christ as her Lord, to worship her Saviour in any way.  He will not even allow her a Bible, or to pray if he knows about it, or to go to church, or to worship in any other way.   Can you imagine a life such as this? 

It was an honor to pray for her that day.  It felt so special to be in her presence and to be able to share this stolen moment with her.  Lord, today again we ask that the heart of the husband would be touched and broken, so that he could also stop rejecting the Grace that has been afforded all whom believe by faith what Jesus has done for each of us on the cross! 

After leaving this place, the pastor told me that the lady will most likely be beaten by her husband that night, because most likely some bystander will tell him that we came and prayed with her.  The lady said this: the beatings are worth it in order to be prayed for in Jesus name!  What faith, what courage, what strength of the Lord!

Lord, be with this woman and the millions of others suffering persecution in this world today.   We know that YOU know this woman’s pain, and we know You have come and paid the price for her and all the rest of the persecuted church!

Lord, we thank Thee for being so patient and long suffering.   We know that in Thy Wisdom and Providence, You are allowing the world to continue on as of today, despite all the sin and corruption, so that the last of the lost ones can be found. 

Lord, allow us in some small way to share Your love with the unbelievers this day.   Lord, we know Thy Word says in Matthew 9: 37-38 …The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send for labourers into his harvest. 

Thy Will be done!  Amen

May God Bless your Week

Yours in Christ Jesus, John Ruotsala 

India Mission Trip

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace to you all!

Today I once again come to you with a prayer request.    Next week, Lord willing, I will be leaving for a few weeks to India.

 

Please pray that the Lord would bless this trip, all the people going, all the people hearing, and the people sending, in a most special way!

   

There is no one going on this trip that can do any good at all unless the Lord God allows and blesses it!

This will be the last weekly diner until that trip is complete!   Please understand the need for this, and I look forward to reporting back to you upon our return to share more of the Word of God with you, should the Lord so will!

The article below is written by a dear Pastor Friend in Kenya, Africa…Pastor Timothy Mundiah. 

May God Bless your next few weeks.     John R.

ALWAYS READ YOUR BIBLE AND PRAY.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the Bible is the Word of God to us. Hosea 4:6 says, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. In Psalms 111:10 we read, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Daniel 12:10 states …none of the wicked shall understand but only the wise will understand. Daily, we hear or see many things happening in the world. Can anyone know the outcome of all this things and all these confusions? Are all these things happening by accident or are they being organized? Consider the list below and add more that you may think of, and ask yourself where the answer to all these can be found.

1.     Earthquakes and natural disasters in different place of the world

2.     Daily increase of mass unemployment in all countries of the world

3.     Robbery, stealing, murder , suicide and abortion  [murder of unborn human beings happening all over the world]

4.     Homosexuals seeking acceptance and respectability in many parts of the world

5.     World finances collapsing and countries crying for the poor economy all over the  world

6.     Demonstrations for every cause and regular pattern of wars with plans to eliminate other countries from the world map

7.     Drug abuse

8.     World weather going crazy

9.     False teaching cropping into the pulpit and slack educational standards

10. Down turn of morality and the cult of scruffy appearance

11. Envy, gossiping, downfall of others and hate.

We can find our answer in the only book in the world that is infallible and inerrant in all its parts.It speaks with full authority on all life’s issues; the only holy book in the world, THE BIBLE.

I URGE YOU DAILY READ YOUR BIBLE AND LETS DAILY PRAY ASKING OUR HEAVENLY FATHER FOR FORGIVENESS, WISDOM AND HIS PROTECTION.

Pastor Timothy Mundiah

The Dayspring

Dear Weekly Readers!

There is only a little more than a week before we celebrate the best and most precious gift ever given to anyone in the history of the world.   A precious baby was born, for the express purpose of redeeming falling mankind.   To save you and me!  To save us for all eternity.  Nothing can compare to the Love of God that we have in Christ Jesus!

Oh, that God would reveal ever more this great act of Love that was given to us in the person of Jesus Christ.  If we could see the full extent of this, we could not contain the joy that we would have.  So today we pray that the Lord will fill us to overflowing with the Joy of the season, which comes through faith in the completed work of His Son Jesus Christ! 

Enjoy this article by Pastor Ron Holmgren.  Also, please pray for this dear pastor as he has liver cancer.   He is the head pastor of a very large congregation in WA, USA.   

THE DAYSPRING

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying... And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.  Luke 1:67, 76-79
T HIS NAME OF OUR LORD is descriptive. Without much stretching we can grasp some of the meaning. We can see the dark night with all its questions, fears and mystery passing away as the sun rises to its zenith and all of darkness flees. The sun is not slowed down. Darkness must yield. As the Apostle of love explains, darkness could not apprehend, attain, nor overtake it.

Shadows of the night are replaced with full revelation. All living things reach for the warmth of the rays and their colors are radiant as they are seen reflecting the sun. When Paul wrote of the whole of creation groaning and suffering in pain together, it was waiting for the deliverance from corruption as we all do. And now is come salvation, now is the revelation of all things which were hidden when darkness prevailed. Rejoice my friend, and sing of the Light that has come to us who sat in darkness.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem and He has brought salvation with Him. He will lead us out of the darkness into His marvelous light. The father of John the Baptist preached the words, "the Dayspring from on high hath visited us." He knew that his son would precede the great deliverer Jesus Christ. John would prepare the way of the Lord and point Him out to those who looked for deliverance.

This is the beauty of Christmas. Light has come and we can walk in the light as He is in the light. When I was a boy, our family had many traditions. We made preparations for the season of Christmas with decorations, gifts and special food. The Norwegian heritage included so many things like sweets, sausage, fish and meat balls. I well remember those days with fondness.  Grandparents and other relatives gathered together and a festive atmosphere filled the house. Lights and candy, snow hoped for even if it seldom came in our area.

And with all this the church sang and talked of the incarnation of Jesus. Many times we worry that the meaning of Christmas is lost in all the festivities. It may be so, but we still can celebrate and share with one another the joy of His coming in our traditional ways. I believe just the fact that the world puts up all the lights and decorations is a testimony to the great effect Jesus has and continues to have on the whole world.

We continue to have traditions at home with our family. I pray our children remember these days as special and full of love, sharing and joyfully remembering the coming of the Lord Jesus in the manger.

God bless you this Christmas and through the coming year with the revelation of His love. Jesus came for you and for me to give us light and salvation through His ultimate gift on the cross of Calvary.

 ~ Pastor Ron Holmgren

Advent

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace!

Yesterday I used the text from Matthew 3, Verse 1-12, for the sermon in my home church.  In this text John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord!  What was the message of John the Baptist?  Repent.  The Lord is coming.  Is your heart prepared for His coming?  How is one made ready?  By Repentance!  There is nothing that we can do of our own that will prepare us.  We can act in whatever way we want, but nothing is acceptable, except that we acknowledge that we are sinful people, and we humble ourselves and turn toward our God in daily contrition and repentance!  Acts 2:38

 ³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

God’s Word has all the answers!  We must read it, and believe it by faith!  Let us pray that God through His Holy Spirit would reveal it to each of our hearts.

Please enjoy the article below by Pastor Orval Wirkkala

 

Dearly beloved,

"For I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15. Through the Promise given in the Garden of Eden after mankind fell into sin, God has revealed that He is for us.

We are now in the season of Advent, a word that means arrival or coming. It is a time of expectant waiting, a time of joy and of excitement.   And as we continue in this Advent season, and as we await the celebration of the first coming of Christ to His world, we experience a growing expectation, excitement and anticipation as we attend worship services, go caroling together, gather with family and friends, or read, meditate and pray over Advent and Christmas texts from Bible. There is a sense of excitement in the air, even in the dark winter nights of life, that our brighter day of joy is coming soon. Even though we have had many Christmas celebrations come and go, nevertheless each year it is as if it is the first one all over again.  For God is coming to be with us. (Isaiah 7:14)

Isaiah by faith 700 years before Christ, was able to peer into the future of the effects of the first coming of Christ, for he spoke of being able to draw water out of the wells of salvation (12:3) and of how the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10) For God not only is for us, but He came to be with us so that He might be in us.

Having experienced the forgiveness of sins through Christ's atonement through faith, we live under the covering of Christ's righteousness and through His indwelling Spirit we belong to Christ alone.  Because we are His, our desire is to follow Him......so then watching and praying is a natural outflow of our union with Him.  It is not a must, a have to, but I want to and I will.......

We are like a child awaiting the day when they will be able to open their Christmas gift, that sits under the tree and which has their name on it.  We are waiting and longing, waiting and longing......

May we have a blessed Advent season and a Merry Christmas!

Pastor Orval Wirkkala

 

The Great Light

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace!  

We are now moving onward into the Advent season in the Christian calendar.  Perhaps on Sunday we will hear of John the Baptist and his message to the world to prepare for the coming of the Lord!   Are we prepared for our Lord to come?  Have we repented?  Do we live in daily repentance?  Do we seek God’s face and will in our lives, or are we following or chasing after the worldly possessions and goods?  Do we seek after those things that satisfy not, or are we pursuing the Lord and seeking to learn of Him?  Are we looking to partake of the Bread of Life and the Living Water?   Let us ponder these things during this season leading up to His birth!

Please enjoy another article by Pastor Elmer Y.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined… 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 9:2, 6

PROPHET ISAIAH WAS CALLED BY God at a time in history when the nation had experienced great prosperity and affluence but things were not going well for them. There was indifference, violence, corruption, fraud, abuses of power and immorality. They were worshipping idols and had forsaken the true God. The people walked in darkness.

It was time for God to reveal Himself to His creatures. He gives us hope for we have a gracious and loving Father who wants to draw us to Himself! This hope is found in the Christmas Child, the Savior of the world. Apostle Matthew reminds us of Isaiah's words when he says, The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:16-17)

The words of Isaiah written over 700 years before the birth of Christ had now come true. God never fails to fulfill His promises. God's timetable is not like ours but His Word and promises are sure for He is everlasting truth. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

The Father in heaven seeks us. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. (John 6:44) The Father by His grace reveals the light to penetrate our souls, and leads us to repentance. 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)

The heavenly Father revealed the birth of the Savior to the shepherds in Bethlehem and it was the Father in heaven who led the wise men to the Christ Child by the bright star. When the light was revealed to them they believed and obeyed and they started on their journey to the Christ Child. When we are indifferent and do not see our need for a Savior, we are in darkness and blind in our trespasses and sins. This Light must come to us also.

When this Light is revealed to us, we see the holiness of God and our sinfulness as Isaiah did when God called him. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

(Isaiah 6:5-7) We come to know that we cannot redeem ourselves from our sins. 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)

When we are reconciled to God, this Light comes to live within us. He leads us into all truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) We become children that desire to do the will of God and shun evil.

The shepherds and the wise men rejoiced and glorified God when they found the Christ Child. When we possess the greatest Christmas gift ever given, the Lord Jesus Christ, we too can rejoice and praise God. We must be willing to share the good news and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. (1 Peter 3:15)

Isaiah gives five titles to this Child:

• His name shall be called Wonderful.  He is all in all. He keeps His church in His care. Not even the gates of hell can prevail against Him (Matthew 16:18).

• He is called Counselor. Truth comes from Him. His Word is truth. Do we lack wisdom? Ask Him!

• He is called the Mighty God. Jesus Christ is God, who was victorious over Satan, death and the world. He is God with us! Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18)."

• He is called the Everlasting Father. He protects us and preserves us. He will not fail us, nor forsake us. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end, the first and last. He intercedes for us before the Father.

• He is the Prince of Peace. He came to reconcile the world to God, to turn people from darkness to His Light, from the power of Satan unto God. He gives us peace through the forgiveness of sins.

These five names teach us that Jesus Christ is all in all and we can trust Him no matter what we face. He came as a Baby in the manger so we would not be afraid to draw near to Him. He leads us to the Father, for He is one with the Father (John 10:30)!

THE WORLD IN IGNORANCE MAY try to remove all mention of Christ from Christmas, but the world will never succeed in destroying His power and the wonderful message of the forgiveness of sins in the name and blood of Jesus. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus truly changed the world. He is truly the King of Kings! The day will come when at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11)

Perhaps many are confused and fearful of what is happening in the world around us, along with our personal trials. However, we can rejoice and praise God as we celebrate this Christmas season, secure in the knowledge that God is still on His throne and will see us through whatever the new year may bring. ~

Pastor Elmer Yliniemi

Wolf Lake, Minnesota

The Truth Will Make You Free

Dear Weekly Readers!

God’s Peace!

I first of all want to thank you for all the prayers you said for our recent preaching trip to Kenya, Africa.  The trip was very blessed, and the Christians there asked me to give greetings to all!  So be greeted from them, and please remember them and us and in your prayers!  I hope to be able to publish the Weekly Diner each week again!

May God Bless your week!  John R.

 

The Truth will make you free:

IPROMISE TO TELL THE TRUTH,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God." These words are spoken by witnesses in a court of law with one hand placed on the Bible. Unfortunately many still lie even after this oath. Some high-ranking individuals in politics and business who are caught and found guilty are punished by the law. The early church already faced the same evil, soon after Pentecost. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? (Acts 5:1-3) Ananias and Sapphira were found guilty of lying. They thought they were lying to Apostle Peter and the believers in Jerusalem but Peter says …thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
(Acts 5:4)

Truth is one of the attributes of God! Jesus says, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) Jesus also says of Himself, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) When we lie, we offend God and someday each of us will give an account of ourselves before God

(Romans 14:12).

We don't know much about this couple whose names were Ananias and Sapphira. We are told that Satan had filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Ghost. Even as believers, Satan tries to make us stumble, for there is no truth in him. Satan is the father of lies! Jesus says in John 8:44: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

These words were spoken to the Jews which believed on Him (John 8:31). Peter gives this warning to the Christians of his day, and to us today: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Paul tells us Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

What was the sin of Ananias and Sapphira? Were they greedy? Were they stingy? Their sin was lying to God and God's people by trying to make themselves appear more generous than they really were. We all know that certain actions are considered good and bring the praise of men which our flesh seeks.

Why was their punishment so harsh? Who of us today would be alive if we were punished by death for every untruth uttered because we wanted to appear better than we really are? Lying and hypocrisy can destroy the church by preventing the Holy Spirit from working. It also destroys our testimony about Christ.

An example had to be set for the early church that it must be founded on the truth. This lie was not from fear of consequences or even an overwhelming temptation. There was no command that they had to sell their land and give everything. It was a deliberate act of hypocrisy in which they agreed to do something that would appear like something it was not.

The church is made up of sinners. We daily sin in thought and deed because we are sinners in need of a Savior. Jeremiah already tells us, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

When we recognize our sin, we can rejoice that the Gospel about God's great mercy toward us through the blood of Christ can cleanse and renew us. But the warning is given to us to be children of truth. John writes, I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. (1 John 2:21) Paul writes to the Roman Christians, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

For Apostle John, grace and truth go hand in hand. God's boundless grace does not wipe out the attribute of truth. We live in a highly competitive world and are tempted to not tell the whole truth so we can gain the upper hand in our situation. The gains we make from lying are not worth much, compared to the blessings received from telling the truth. When we tell the truth we are never trapped in a lie. We don't need a good memory if we tell the truth. If you have a habit of stretching the truth, being untruthful in little things or have deceived someone, confess it to that person and to God and put it away in the precious name and blood of Jesus Christ. It may be humbling, but it is the first step to restoring integrity in your life.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

Pastor Elmer Yliniemi

Wolf Lake, Minnesota

Christians Are Like Sheep

Dear Weekly Readers!

In every congregation I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit around the world in the past few years, I have noticed the beautiful little children.  They are so precious in the Lord’s sight.   Often times we as adults view them as the future of the church.  This is in part true, but it also falls very short.  The children are the church today!  All of those that believe in Jesus by faith are in the one true church of God!   Children were so loved by Jesus that He said in Mattthew 19:14 …suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 

Please enjoy the following article which you could share with the children in your churches or Sunday Schools.  

Have a Blessed Week!  John 

Christians Are Like Sheep

 

Hello to God's little lambs and the sheep of His pasture.

In the 23rd Psalm, David writes about the Lord being his Shepherd. We are so much like sheep, it's amazing. When sheep have a good shepherd (as Jesus is ours), they do very well. When sheep have a shepherd who does not give them the best care, they have many troubles.

Let's see how we are like sheep.

~ Sheep cannot take care of themselves. They need to be given proper care every day.  We need to keep close to Christ every day and there we will receive the best care. Very often we forget to be near to God and then we experience problems; sometimes they are small, but many times they are big.

~ A sheep farmer must put his own special mark on his sheep. He does this by cutting a certain design into the ear of each sheep. I'm sure this is not a pleasant task, but it makes the farmer feel a great responsibility for his sheep. They are his and no one can mistake them. God knows each of you His children and He has set His mark on you. Jesus says He is the Shepherd of the sheep and He would lay His life down for us. We know that He did give His life for us on the cross.

~ A shepherd will go to great lengths for his sheep. He will do whatever needs to be done for his sheep all day long, and all night long, too. A shepherd sleeps lightly (as a mother does with her children, ready to hear their needs of the night) and he hears his sheep if they have a need in the night. Jesus never slumbers or sleeps as He is always looking out for each of His children—His sheep and lambs.

~ A good shepherd gives his sheep the best food, in grains, fields for grazing, and clean water. Sheep will not drink fast-flowing water. They prefer the water to be calm. Our good Shepherd Jesus does the same for us. He wants us to be taken care of well. We shall not be in need of anything when Jesus is in our life.

~ Sheep will not lie down and rest if they are troubled by bugs or if they are hungry. They are very restless. When a Christian has sin in their life, that person will not be at peace. I pray that we will always hunger to learn more of our Shepherd. That is a good hunger.

~ Sheep need special oils put all over their heads to ward off disease from flies and other insects that give them much discomfort. We need the anointing of the Holy Spirit daily to keep our minds on Jesus. When we have the Holy Spirit, we can keep the devil away. He will always try to bother us, just as flies that will constantly trouble sheep.

~ Sheep have a tendency to follow one another. If a naughty sheep finds a way out of its pasture, the other sheep will follow. This is much like people. If someone is with their friends and is doing wrong, very often the friends follow along and do not correct the wrong. We must be careful to avoid this.

~ A farmer always leads his sheep; he does not chase them or beat them from behind. Often he will have a dog to help him to make sure everyone follows. There are times when a naughty sheep tries to run away and needs to be brought back. This is a picture of God's children following the Lord our Shepherd, and the ones who leave the flock because of temptations to do things that take us away from Jesus.

~A good shepherd provides good shelter for his sheep during bad weather and for the winter months. Our Good Shepherd Jesus is our shelter from the storms or tough times in life. We can go to Him in prayer and be comforted and feel His protection.

~Sheep are some of the dumbest animals on earth. I am not saying you children are dumb! What I am getting at is this: sheep need full time care and keeping to do well, and so do people. We always need to be guided back to what is right. If we do wrong, we learn lessons the hard way. We have to always deal with our mind that thinks to do or say many things. Our mind can think not-so-good thoughts and it can also think many good thoughts. We need our mind to go through each day; this is a gift from God. We so badly need Jesus to lead us in our thoughts and actions to stay in the "green pastures" that He would have for us. I pray that you children will listen to your Shepherd Jesus and let Him lead you on your journey of life. He will never lead you on a wrong path, but always the RIGHT ones.

Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 34:30-31

I pray that God will protect your minds and bodies from sin and harm as each of you children go to school. Do your best; you'll be blessed.

We Are God's Work

Dear Weekly Readers! I am traveling throughout the United States visiting different churches here and sharing about how God is working around the world. I will also be attending our annual Foreign Mission Board meeting at the end of this week. Therefore, I’m still away from the office and may not be able to reply to your emails. Please enjoy this week's article by Jay Weidner! May God Bless your week!  John "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)   We are God's work. It can't be us who works to gain our salvation because it is He as the sole worker. He is the One who has worked it in us. It is not works, because we are His workmanship. That's one of the most comforting things in all of the Scripture. We can't yet see it or understand it. We look at ourselves in the mirror, and we see so often that we have not done everything that we should. We see so many things we've done that we wish we hadn't. We look at ourselves and examine ourselves, and we grow more frail and weak. We seek and hope and long for improvement, and we don't see any. But we don't realize we aren't our own workmanship. Paul offers this comfort: "It isn't of our works. It's entirely by God's grace." He has wrought us. He has made us anew. If we could see right, and we looked in a mirror, and we had a mirror that could reveal the work of God, when we looked in that mirror all we would see is what God sees—the finished work of His Son. Then we would really understand, "By grace are ye saved." By grace.   Pastor Jay Weidner