DEVOTION: Isaiah 64:1-9English Standard Version (ESV)
64 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2 [a] as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?[b]
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in[c] the hand of our iniquities.
8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
and remember not iniquity forever.
Behold, please look, we are all your people.
At one time we both want Jesus to come back and don't want him to judge us. Isaiah pleads with God to return. He wants him to break open the sky and come down! He wants everyone to see the mighty God that he is. Then, in the next instant, he remembers that God may be angry because of his sins and the sins of the people.
We are no different than Isaiah. We definitely say, "Come quickly Lord Jesus!", but we also say, "Please don't be angry with us, Jesus. We have sinned and we are sorry." It is definitely a good thing that we are indeed ready for Jesus to return, because He has made us ready. Through his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, and through his sending of the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives, we have been made ready. We have been washed clean of our sins through our baptisms. As we hear his Word of law we are called to repentance and as we hear his Word of Gospel we are comforted and relieved. We are certainly ready, and being made ready each and every day!
Advent is fast approaching, Christmas will be here before we even blink. The day of the Lord will come like a thief as well! Be ready! Pray to the Lord Jesus to make you ready by whatever means he deems necessary. Don't delay! Get into Jesus and get Jesus into you TODAY!
Lord, "O that you would rend the heavens and come down!" Do not be angry with us in our sinfulness, but save us by yoru mighty power, mercy, and grace. Amen.
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CALENDAR:
Tues- Quilting 9-2
Wed- Ladies Aid cleaning of the sanctuary 9:30; Oak Pointe Worship 10:30, Stephen Ministry 6; Choir 7
Thurs- Confirmation make up 6; Karate 6:15
Sat- Worship- 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Adult Bible class and Sunday school 9:45; Decorating church for Christmas noon
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RSHIP WORKERS:
Acolyte- 8:30- Jared Cluver; 11- Cameron Faerber
Ushers- Rich Boeger, Don Hance, Don Tate, Doug Walters
Altar- Set up- Ruth Walters; Clean Up- Sandy Robine
Elder- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Al Benton
Greeters- 8:30- Rich and Peggy Talbert; 11- ???
Lay Reader- Sat- Sandra Perricone; 8:30- Jennifer Figura; 11- Loren Howard
Pianist Sat- Barb Dreyer; Sun 11- Molly Hendershot
Organist- Barb Dreyer
Projectionist- Sat- Toni Mauch; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Savannah Masters
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:
Who was Barnabas? A convert of Cyprus and a companion of Paul Acts chapters 4, 9, 11,and 15. (Thanks Don)
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TODAY'S QUIZ: Where was Timothy a pastor?
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NEWS:
LADIES CLEANING THE SANCTUARY THIS WEDNESDAY AT 9:30!!
Come and join the ladies as they get the sanctuary ready for this Advent and Christmas Season!
CHRISTMAS DECORATING AFTER CHURCH ON SUNDAY!!! Be there at noon to help! I will get pizza for everyone who shows up!
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SCRIP ORDERS ARE DUE NEXT MONDAY, DECEMBER 4!
Get all those Christmas gifts cards bought and help out your church at the same time!! Get order forms on the counter in the narthex, or from the church office!
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SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM PRESENTATION WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 at 6:30!!
If you would like your children to be in the program, they need to be at Sunday school!
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SIGN UP SHEET TO BUY A POINSETTIA FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY IS ON THE COUNTER IN THE NARTHEX! COST IS $13.50
It is a wonderful way to honor the memory of someone or just someone you love!
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LITTLE LAMBS IS SELLING CANDY BARS AND COULD USE YOUR HELP!
If you'd like to help sell a box or two of candy bars as a fundraiser for Little Lambs preschool. Let Terry or one of the preschool ladies know. They'll hook you up right quick!
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OUR FIRST ADVENT DINNER WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6 AT 5:30!
All in elder groups 1-3 are responsible for bringing either a side dish or salad and a dessert! Fried chicken will be the main course for all three meals! Worship will begin at 6:30! We'll hear different voices proclaim the coming of Jesus! Zechariah (The Benedictus), Gabriel (the announcement to Mary), and Mary (the Magnificat) will proclaim the birth long foretold!
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LADIES AID CHRISTMAS PARTY WILL BE AT DENNY'S ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6 AT NOON!
Please sign up on the sign up sheet on the counter in the narthex or call Terry to rsvp!
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VOTER'S MEETING RESULTS FROM LAST SUNDAY
- The voters nominated President Lee Hagan for district president and VP Ron Rall for another term.
- The voters voted to keep the same mission project, Rev.. Micah and Dorothy Glenn in North County, for 2018.
- Larry Schulze, Jim McRae, and Teresa Brockfeld all volunteered to be on the board of trustees! Thank you to these three volunteers!
- We are still in need of two board members for the board of education, and four members for the board of elders.
- The voters approved the budget for 2018. Thanks to Alan Hofeldt for putting it together.
- Since we continuously have trouble filling our boards and committees and since things could be done a whole lot better and more efficiently with a different structure, the voters approved the appointing of a task force to study changes to our governance structure so that we can tap into all the unused potential, so that people who want to do good in the congregation don't have to commit to boards and committees for 9 years, and so that the work of the church can be disbursed among those who actually want to do it! PRAISE THE LORD!!
- The voters approved changing the overflow accordion door to a permanent wall with doors and windows in it to convert the overflow to a cry room.
- The voter's also approved a budget of $450,000 for our building project so that we can move forward with hiring an architect.
As you can see, a lot is getting done in and around St. John's. It may be slow going at times, but God is definitely moving! I'm excited to see what God has in store for 2018!! It's gonna be a great year watching A LOT of people come to Christ and become members of St. John's! If you'd like to volunteer for our task force to look into structure changes, please reply to this email. Please look for lots of wonderful stuff to be happening in the near future, and PRAY, PRAY, PRAY for St. John's that we can grow in making disciples in, out and together!!
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SUNDAY SCHOOL MEMORY VERSE IS: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne."
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DO YOU HAVE A THRIVENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNT OR POLICY?
You may be eligible to receive money for Little Lambs or Good Shepherd!! Go to www.thrivent.com/choicedollars to check it out!
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OPERATION BACKPACK DONATIONS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IS INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED SNACKS AND PACKETS OF OATMEAL.
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PRAYERS:
For our CHURCH, as we begin to make some big changes to both our governance structure and our building, and as we move forward to make disciples of all nations.
For JIM HUSTER, who is hospitalized with internal bleeding in his leg.
For JENNIFER RAHN, who is recovering from heart valve replacement surgery at home.
For LINDA CALLIES, who is recovering from infection at home.
For GEORGE HOELSCHER, BUCK HAMPTON, DENISE HOOKER (betty Tameler's daughter) as they continue to deal with cancer.
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PRAYERS FOR OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL:
For COLTON FIGURA deployed to Turkey, SAM HARGROVE deployed in Kuwait and DAN DREYER deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, that the Lord would keep them safe from harm during their service and bring them home safely.
For DAVID TATE stationed in Japan, and ALEX WALTERS, stationed in Tennessee. That God would bless their service to our country and keep them safe as they all await possible deployment.
For CALEB FIGURA AND VINCE MASTERS who are both serving our country in the National Guard and take time out of their lives, jobs, and families to go on duty several times a year.
