DEVOTION: (Jesus said) "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10
The topic for today's Daily Devotion was called to my attention by Rev. Nabil S. Nour of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Armour, South Dakota.
"Narrow-minded, antagonistic Christians are responsible for most of the world's problems."
That was the argument I recently overheard when I was on a plane traveling to a speaking engagement. At the end of the trip, I apologized for my eavesdropping and encouraged the speaker to look at the story of Youssef Nadarkhani of Iran.
If you have never heard of Nadarkhani, please allow me to share. Nadarkhani, a pastor from Rasht, Iran, was arrested in October of 2009, when he tried to register the house church, where he is the pastor. Eventually, the authorities decided he was guilty of apostasy, that is, he had converted to Christianity from Islam.
In Iran, the punishment for converting to Christianity is death by hanging.
Now the truth is this: although Nadarkhani's family is Muslim, he was an unbeliever when the Holy Spirit called him to faith in Jesus as his Savior. That was a fact the courts decided to ignore. Nadarkhani was convicted and sentenced to death.
It was then the world's Christian community began to get involved in protesting the severity of the verdict. Only then did the Ayatollah Larijani, the head of Iran's court system, come forward to ask Nadarkhani's case be retried.
According to those who have followed the case and the Ayatollah, this recommendation was mainly made so the world will forget Nadarkhani and get involved with other matters.
In the meantime Iranian authorities will continue to exert any and all pressure to win Nadarkhani back to Islam. If the past sets any precedent, Nadarkhani will be told his wife also has been arrested (she was jailed for a while last year) and that his two boys will be taken from him and placed in an Islamic family. (This also happened, albeit temporarily.)
So that is the story of Nadarkhani; it is also the story of many pastors and Christian laity, who are publicly sharing the Savior's story of salvation in the Islamic nations of the Mideast.
This is why I would like to enlist your help in prayer.
Let us ask the Lord to help brothers and sisters like Youssef to stand firm in the faith and the salvation that has been given them through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Further, please ask the Lord to bless and keep safe those of The Lutheran Hour staff, who are responsible for broadcasting the Savior's story into those Mideast nations where sharing Jesus' plan of salvation has been outlawed.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, send Your holy angels to minister to and strengthen Christians who are suffering for the Savior. Keep them faithful until death, so they may receive the crown of life. Lord we also pray for the Lutheran Hour Ministries staff, who are telling the lost of what Jesus has done to save them. Keep them all in Your care and under Your protection. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What would happen to someone who would kidnap someone and either sell him or still have him when he is caught in the Old Testament? He was to be put to death (Sandy Robine is the winner for the third day in a row.)
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TODAY's QUIZ: What must happen to a bull that gores a man or a woman to death, and what about the owner of the bull?
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CATECHISM:
Question: What is actual sin?
Answer: It is every act against a commandment of God in thoughts, desires, words, or deeds.
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CHURCH CALENDAR
Thurs- Jonesburg nursing home worship 10:30
Fri- H.S. youth 30 hour famine starts at noon; High school lock in begins at 7pm
Sat- worship 5pm; 30 hour famine ends 6pm
Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9;Sunday School and Bible class 10:15; WORSHIP 11am
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NEWS:
POTLUCK WITH JAN LUCAS THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 3 AT NOON!!
The topic for today's Daily Devotion was called to my attention by Rev. Nabil S. Nour of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Armour, South Dakota.
"Narrow-minded, antagonistic Christians are responsible for most of the world's problems."
That was the argument I recently overheard when I was on a plane traveling to a speaking engagement. At the end of the trip, I apologized for my eavesdropping and encouraged the speaker to look at the story of Youssef Nadarkhani of Iran.
If you have never heard of Nadarkhani, please allow me to share. Nadarkhani, a pastor from Rasht, Iran, was arrested in October of 2009, when he tried to register the house church, where he is the pastor. Eventually, the authorities decided he was guilty of apostasy, that is, he had converted to Christianity from Islam.
In Iran, the punishment for converting to Christianity is death by hanging.
Now the truth is this: although Nadarkhani's family is Muslim, he was an unbeliever when the Holy Spirit called him to faith in Jesus as his Savior. That was a fact the courts decided to ignore. Nadarkhani was convicted and sentenced to death.
It was then the world's Christian community began to get involved in protesting the severity of the verdict. Only then did the Ayatollah Larijani, the head of Iran's court system, come forward to ask Nadarkhani's case be retried.
According to those who have followed the case and the Ayatollah, this recommendation was mainly made so the world will forget Nadarkhani and get involved with other matters.
In the meantime Iranian authorities will continue to exert any and all pressure to win Nadarkhani back to Islam. If the past sets any precedent, Nadarkhani will be told his wife also has been arrested (she was jailed for a while last year) and that his two boys will be taken from him and placed in an Islamic family. (This also happened, albeit temporarily.)
So that is the story of Nadarkhani; it is also the story of many pastors and Christian laity, who are publicly sharing the Savior's story of salvation in the Islamic nations of the Mideast.
This is why I would like to enlist your help in prayer.
Let us ask the Lord to help brothers and sisters like Youssef to stand firm in the faith and the salvation that has been given them through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Further, please ask the Lord to bless and keep safe those of The Lutheran Hour staff, who are responsible for broadcasting the Savior's story into those Mideast nations where sharing Jesus' plan of salvation has been outlawed.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, send Your holy angels to minister to and strengthen Christians who are suffering for the Savior. Keep them faithful until death, so they may receive the crown of life. Lord we also pray for the Lutheran Hour Ministries staff, who are telling the lost of what Jesus has done to save them. Keep them all in Your care and under Your protection. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What would happen to someone who would kidnap someone and either sell him or still have him when he is caught in the Old Testament? He was to be put to death (Sandy Robine is the winner for the third day in a row.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TODAY's QUIZ: What must happen to a bull that gores a man or a woman to death, and what about the owner of the bull?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CATECHISM:
Question: What is actual sin?
Answer: It is every act against a commandment of God in thoughts, desires, words, or deeds.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
CHURCH CALENDAR
Thurs- Jonesburg nursing home worship 10:30
Fri- H.S. youth 30 hour famine starts at noon; High school lock in begins at 7pm
Sat- worship 5pm; 30 hour famine ends 6pm
Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9;Sunday School and Bible class 10:15; WORSHIP 11am
________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:
POTLUCK WITH JAN LUCAS THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 3 AT NOON!!
A long time member of St. John's and friend to many, Jan Lucas, is moving. Some of her friends are having a going away potluck luncheon for/with her this Saturday at noon at church. Please bring your favorite dish to share.
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NEXT WEDNESDAY SUPPER AT 5:30 AND WORSHIP 7pm
Supper- 5:30---Baked potato bar w/ all the toppings, salad, rolls, dessert
Worship- 7pm- Peter comes to talk to us about his false allegiance
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HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH NEWS
LOCK IN AND 30 HOUR FAMINE Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.
All high school youth are invited to this lock in!!!!!! Bring your friends and bring lots of stuff to do: video games, movies, board games, whatever else you can think of.
We will stop eating after lunch on Friday and go without eating until 6pm on Saturday.
We are doing this to raise money for starving children throughout the world. World Vision is the group we will be donating the money to.
PAINTBALL!!! MONDAY NIGHT March 5??????
Every first Monday night of the month we are gong to do something fun. In march we are doing paintball if it is available. I still have to see if they do evening paintball, but if they do, IT IS ON!!!
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BIBLE 101: A NEW ONLINE "INTRODUCTORY" BIBLE STUDY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF ST JOHN'S!!!
15 PEOPLE SIGNED UP SO FAR!!!
What is it? Bible 101 is a new online product from Concordia Publishing House that increases Biblical literacy in adults.
It is for all levels of learning and knowledge. Even pastors learn things from this course.
Participants simply log into Bible 101 and enter an online learning environment. Members start out by learning essential Bible basics from "square one" and then build upon that as they progress through the course.
Here are som of the features of Bible 101
online- uses proven online educational strategies and models that facilitate retention among multiple learning styles.
videos- throughout the week, participants can access videos that relate to the lesson
discussion forum- participants are not left on their own as they are connected to a community where they can correspond, question, and encourage each other.
podcasts- daily devotional for each weekday
quizzes- test your knowledge and easily benchmakr where you are in your learning cycle.
printing- easily print the materials for even more easy access.
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 JEANETTE KOEHLER who is recovering after surgery to repair her broken hip.
For DOLORES DEBLAZE as she will soon begin treatments for cancer. She is undergoing more tests this week.
For A GOOD FRIEND OF CHRISTY WINN who has been diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time and is pregnant.
For HANK SCHMIDT who is going through radiation treatments for stage 2 lung cancer.
For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who continues to be up and down because of chemotherapy treatments.
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