Monday, August 20, 2012

DEVOTION: Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:9-10

Years ago there was a song about "The Limbo, "you know the dance where people have to squeeze themselves under a stick... a stick which keeps getting lower and lower.

Part of that song has a bass voice asking the question, "How low can you go?"

"How low can you go" is the question I was asking after I saw a security camera video which came from a North Carolina Wal-Mart. Let me tell you what I saw.

The video begins with a lady seated in a non-moving electric scooter. Information supplied by the article says she was suffering from a medical issue. For all practical purposes she was unconscious. Thankfully her condition did not go unnoticed.

A big man in a striped shirt came up to the lady, looked at her, and then quickly left. In a short time the man was back again. The next scene cut to the security camera at the store's entrance. It showed the man leaving the store with the woman's purse. The last scene in the video showed the lady awakening to find her purse gone.

The distraught lady told authorities that along with her purse the thief had taken the $300 she needed to pay that month's bills.

Forget about "taking candy from a baby." The new low in life is the grown man who takes the purse of a wheel-chaired little old lady who is passed out.

I should be careful what I say. The Daily Devotion readers will fill my mail with other stories where somebody did something even lower.

The truth is our hearts are predisposed toward evil. That was the verdict of the Lord after the flood. Indeed, anyone who has looked into his heart knows that he is a sinner deserving God's wrath and punishment.

Which is why, like King David, we need to come to the Lord and ask that He blot out our iniquities. Erasing sin is something which, because of our Savior, the Lord is glad to do.

In fact the Lord goes further than wiping out the wrong. He also gives us new hearts and right spirits. No longer are we bound to go from sin to transgression to disobedience and back again. Because the Holy Spirit is there to encourage us, we can become witnesses to the Savior.

Which takes me back to the lady in the electric scooter... I'm proud to say that when the woman's story became public a Good Samaritan came forward and made up for the cash she had lost.

That individual made a witness to the Savior. By God's grace may we do the same when we come upon a problem, a need, an opportunity.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are people out there who are doing a lot of bad things. Today I ask that You will keep me from being one of them. At the same time I ask that You will allow me to witness Jesus to those who need the new heart and clean spirit which the Savior provides. In His Name. Amen 
 
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FRIDAY'S QUIZ:     What did the prophetesses use to esnare people into listening to them according to Ezekiel? (I'll leave it up another day as no one answered it on Friday.)
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CATECHISM:
Question: Why did Christ humble himself?
Answer: Christ voluntarily humbled Himself in order to redeem me, a lost and condemned person." 
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CALENDAR: 
Mon- (Strategic Planning meeting cancelled)
Tues- Little Lambs 3 year olds start; Quilters 9am-2pm
Fri- newsletter assembly 9am
Sat- worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; worship 11am 
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NEWS:
HELPERS NEEDED FOR GOOD NEWS CLUB!!!
As many of you know, CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) does an after school program called "Good News Club".   The change to all elementary schools being preschool-5th grade has created an opportunity for us (St. John's) to host a GNC at Rebecca Boone.  CEF has leaders in place to help us get started (They would eventually step out of the way and let us take over fully.)  What we need is two or three volunteers, who like working with kids and want to see more of them come to Christ, to be a part of this exciting opportunity. 
 
Please call me at 359-1061 to let me know if you are interested!!
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Projectors NEEDED
I still need people to sign up for the projector.  Here are the openings for the next few weeks:
Aug 26 8:30-                    11am-
 
Sept 2- 8:30-                    11am-
 
Sept 9- 11am-
 
Sept 16-  11am-
 
Sept 23- 8:30-     
 
Sept 30- 8:30-                    11am-
 
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LUAU COMING UP THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 beginning at 5:30pm
Get a babysitter and bring your wife or husband on a date!!  Come to the Schirr's house and enjoy some good food, some drinks, some good company, and relax.  $12 per person.    Payment should be made to Betty Schirr.  21 years old and older invited.
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JUNIOR HIGH KIDS GOING ROLLER SKATING THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 26 from 2-5pm!!!

Call Donna Sherman at 456-4224 to let her know you are planning on coming and if you can drive.  Bring $5 for skates and any extra money you want to bring for snacks.  The group will leave together from church at 1:15.  BRING FRIENDS!!!! 

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STEWARDSHIP SPOLIGHT FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST IS OUR OWN LITTLE LAMBS PRESCHOOL!!!

What a great opportunity to support a mission right here!  If you don't want to do the golf outing, but you still want to help Little Lambs just put a check in the offering plate that is specifically designated to Little Lambs.  They start school on August 16.  

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PRAYERS:

 

For DOLORES DEBLAZE as she continues to deal with her cancer.  She is in quite a bit of pain.

 

For MARY OFSTHUN, former member of St. John's, as she mourns the loss of her daughter. 

 

For Denise Schlesselman's grandma, DOROTHY SCHLESSELMAN, as she is dealing with an unidentified illness.

 

For ERNA VANHORN who is recovering well from surgery.

For BILL MCKENZIE as he recovers from a stroke.   

 

For JOYCE SCHIEN as she recovers from a stroke.  She is at the DePaul rehab hospital.

 

For BOB LAMPEN, Karin Klaustermeier's dad, as his treatment is doing some good, and as he is starting a new treatment for his liver cancer.

 

For JEANETTE KOEHLER as she reocvers from vascular surgery to relieve pain and help with circulation in her foot and as she works hard to get back home.

 

For GENE SIEBOLD as he awaits the results of his cancer treatments as they are completed. 

 

For ALL OF OUR FARMERS AND ALL WHO DEPEND ON THE LAND AND ON RAIN, that God would provide for their needs even during this drought.