DEVOTION: (Jesus said) "... 'Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'" Revelation 2:10b
Faithful. By definition, the word "faithful" means to be "consistently trustworthy and loyal."
By that definition 17-year-old Stacey Irvine is a very faithful young lady.
You see, although she admits to having an occasional French fry with her boyfriend, Irvine only eats chicken nuggets. Since she was two years old she has only eaten chicken nuggets. Although I'm not a mathematician, that's 15 years of chicken nuggets.
Yucch!
Considering her diet, from the outside Irvine doesn't look any the worse for wear. On the inside, it's a different matter. Recently, she was taken to the hospital after she had struggled to breathe and then passed out.
Irvine's mom says, "The doctors told Stacey in no uncertain terms that she will die if she carries on like this." Now that's a problem since faithful Irvine maintains she can only eat chicken nuggets (and the occasional fry.) Hearing that kind of flawed reasoning her mom says, "I'm praying she can be helped, before it's too late."
I hope so too.
Now there is a reason why I bring Stacey Irvine to your attention.
She is proof that most people are faithful in following something. Some folks are faithful to watching a TV program, others to following their favorite football team, yet others to having a clean house and at least one person is faithful to eating only chicken nuggets.
Most people, even you, are pretty faithful to something or somebody.
The trick is to find something or somebody worthy of your faithfulness.
Chicken nuggets may be a grand thing but, when all is said and done, they are still chicken nuggets and, therefore, cannot be expected to produce much in the way of a long-term benefit or great advantage to its faithful followers.
On a greater or lesser scale, the same can be said about almost everything else in this world that people follow. By that I'm referring to movie stars, political candidates, music idols, etc.
Almost everything and everybody else makes hollow promises to people -- almost everybody. You see, in Jesus we have the exception to that rule.
When Jesus says something, you can take His words to the bank. If He says, "Be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life," He means it. If He says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble" (see Psalm 50:15), you can be sure His deliverance to your disastrous day is on its way.
So, before this devotion closes, let me ask, what thing or person in this world do you love as much as Stacey Irvine loves chicken nuggets? I'll let you fill in that blank.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, this world has produced many things that falsely claim rewards and benefits toward those who follow. Today we ask that You will send the Holy Spirit, so they may reject that which is wrong and ridiculous and embrace the Savior, who is worthy of our faithfulness. In His Name. Amen. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What country was Ruth from? Moab (Doug Herzog knocked Dianne off her throne if just for a day. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TODAY'S QUIZ: Where did Samuel live when he got the call from God to become the next prophet? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CATECHISM Question: Who is God?
Answer: In His Word God has told us that He is
a. spirit
b.eternal
c. unchangeable (immutable)
d. almighty all powerful (omnipotent)
e. all knowing (omniscient)
f. present everywhere (omnipresent)
g. holy (sinless and hating sin)
h. just (fair and impartial)
i. faithful (keeping his promises)
j. good (kind, desiring our welfare)
k. merciful (full of pity)
l. gracious (showing undeserved kindness, forgiving)
m. love
________________________________________________________________________________________________CHURCH CALENDAR Tues- quilters 9-2; Bible study 11:30-12:15; Catholic Lutheran Differences class 7pm
Wed- Supper 5:30; bells 6; worship 7; choir 7:30
Thurs- nothing
Fri- nothing
Sat- worship 5pm
Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9; worship 11am; (Don't forget that it is April Fool's Day)
________________________________________________________________________________________________NEWS: WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS THE LAST MIDWEEK SUPPER AT 5:30 AND WORSHIP 7pm
Supper- 5:30--- FRIED CHICKEN, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, peaches, rolls, and dessert
Worship- 7pm- The Sanhedrin rail against Jesus. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LITTLE LAMBS REGISTRATION IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW FOR CURRENTLY ENROLLED FAMILIES AND CHURCH MEMBERS!!
A nonrefundable enrollment fee of $30 is required. Open enrollment for the whole community opens April 1.
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TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP GROUP GOING TO THE AMISH COMMUNITY OF ARTHUR, IL ON APRIL 21. Cost is $65 per person. Sign up sheet in on the counter in the narthex or you can call Marilyn in the office to sign up. THERE ARE PLENTY OF SPOTS AVAILABLE!!!!! SIGN UP TODAY!!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________STEWARDSHIP SPOLIGHT FOR THIS MONTH IS LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES
LHM is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches, missions, and ministry worldwide. The daily devotion above comes from LHM almost every day. If you wish to donate ot it please make a check out to LHM and put it in a specially designated envelope.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________BIBLE 101: A NEW ONLINE "INTRODUCTORY" BIBLE STUDY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF ST JOHN'S!!! Please call or reply to this email to let me know that you want to sign up for this wonderful opportunity. I will sign you up! The congregation has already paid the annual fee so IT IS FREE for you!!!
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PRAYERS: (If I have missed anyone please let me know.)
For KATHLEEN SHERMAN and her family as her dad passed away after a prolonged illness.
For THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF HANK SCHMIDT as he passed from death to life on Monday.
For THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF LEONARD WAALEN as he passed from death to life on Tuesday.
For LIBBY PAILER as she recovers at
Mercy (formerly St John's Mercy) REHAB in Creve Couer (right across the street from the hospital).
For DOLORES DEBLAZE as she is awaiting results from a biopsy to determine what kind of treatment she will be getting for her cancer. She is feeling well.
For JEANETTE KOEHLER who is recovering well at the Cedars.
For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who continues to be up and down because of chemotherapy treatments.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Ecclesiastes 7:20
And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11