Little Lambs
Book fair is canceled
Little Lambs
Daily Email: Tuesday, September 20, 2016
DEVOTION: Amos 6:1-7 (NIV)
"Woe to the Complacent"
6 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,
and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
you notable men of the foremost nation,
to whom the people of Israel come!
2 Go to Kalneh and look at it;
go from there to great Hamath,
and then go down to Gath in Philistia.
Are they better off than your two kingdoms?
Is their land larger than yours?
3 You put off the day of disaster
and bring near a reign of terror.
4 You lie on beds adorned with ivory
and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs
and fattened calves.
5 You strum away on your harps like David
and improvise on musical instruments.
6 You drink wine by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
your feasting and lounging will end.
Whoa, wait a minute. I thought God wants us to be comfortable. I thought God wants us to be at ease. Didn't Jesus say, "Come to me..... and I will give you rest"?
Here's the deal folks. If we look for peace, comfort and rest in anything but Christ, we will never get it. Oh, we might be physically comfortable for a while. We may have our nice houses, with our beautifully manicured lawns and landscaping on the outside, and easy chairs and beautiful cabinets and countertops on the inside. The trouble is that it is like putting lipstick on a pig if there is no peace or security in Christ.
The Israelites had this problem of complacency. They had it good. The Lord had delivered them from all their enemies and they were living high on the hog in the promised land. They had prosperity. They had physical safety. They seemingly had it all going on. On the inside though they were wrecked. They had no regard for God or the blessings he had given them or the mercy and grace he ad for them. They disregarded God and so they had lost their real security.
We could say that this is what is happening in our own nation, but instead off pointing to the people outside of us, we first need to look inward. On what are you basing your "security"? Is it on your finances? Is it on your health? Is it on how the people around you see you? Or is it on Christ alone?
Have you become complacent when it comes to Christ? Have you neglected and disregarded your praise and honor of him in search of something more comfortable, or shiny, or exciting, or entertaining?
I strongly encourage you to seek the Lord, to get to worship, to repent of your complacency and renew your zeal for the Lord that you would not lose sight of Him all together.
Let us pray: Lord, keep me from becoming complacent as the Israelites did, and when I do, shake me out of it, so that I don't lose sight of you. Amen.
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Council meeting 7pm
Wed- Ladies Aid Noon; Choir 7
Thurs- Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm
Fri- Assemble newsletter 9am; Men leave for men's retreat
Sat- St John's booth at the Fall Festival downtown Noon-9pm; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Basement reserved all afternoon
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Addie Hoelscher 11- Savannah Masters
Ushers- Scott and Alex Heitgerd, Bob and Tom Linke
Altar- Set up- Jodi Baldwin; Clean Up- Lois Boeger
Elders- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Randy Sweet; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- John and Joanne Hachtel; 11- Dave and Lil Winter
Lay Readers- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Jacob Nagel; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano- Sat- Molly Hendershot
Organist- Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat- Kathy Fischer; 8:30- Schaumbergs
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What does the word "Hallelujah" mean? Praise the Lord! It is actually three Hebrew words together. "Hallel" = praise "u" = the, and "jah" = Lord as in "Yah" weh.
2. The Oktoberfest committee is still looking for some help on October 1st from 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. We need people to help with food, games, set up, and tear down.
If you can help with either of these call Kelsey at 573-803-7826 or reply to this email, and I will forward the info to her.