Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"A Puzzlement"
August 12, 2014
"For I the LORD do not change. ...." Malachi 3:6a In the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I, there is a song called, "A Puzzlement."
One of the verses of that song has the king saying, "In my head are many facts that, as a student, I have studied to procure. In my head are many facts of which I wish I was more certain, I was sure."
This week, my friends, I feel just as confused as was that king. You see, when I was a student, I studied (semi-hard) to deposit some facts in my cranium. In this endeavor, I, like you, was more or less successful. Among the things which I did learn was this: dinosaurs were gray, big and lizardy.
But now, according to prestigious Science magazine, a bunch of fossils found in Siberia have flipped "that perception on its head." Quoting a scientific expert, the equally respected BBC has said these fossils have "completely changed our vision of dinosaurs."
Curious about the discovery? Let me remove the suspense and give you the particulars of these discoveries. Having examined the fossil record, the scientists have jettisoned the gray, scaly, lizardy concept and stated most dinosaurs had feathers.
That's right: feathers.
When I heard that news, I immediately imagined a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which moved like, sounded like, and looked like a big chicken. Understand, the scientists are not saying that. That image is my own invention. All the scientists are saying is the majority of dinosaurs had feathers. Anyone care to join me in singing, "In my head are many facts of which I wish I was more certain, I was sure"?
Thankfully, there are some facts about which we can be most certain.
For example, we can be certain you and I are sinners. Both God's Law and our consciences, makes that fact quite clear. But there's more. We also know that divine punishment awaits those who have done wrong. That fact is pointed out by Christianity and by many other religions of the world.
Things would be pretty desperate if those were the only facts of which we could be sure and certain. Although it is neither sensible nor logical, unchanging Scripture tells us the Triune God felt sorry for sinful humankind. So we might be saved, Jesus became one of us. On earth, He lived for us, resisted temptation for us, kept the Law for us, and died for us.
Then, by His resurrection from the dead, the Savior showed us He had conquered sin, death and devil. By God's grace all who are brought to faith in Him are forgiven and saved.
Those are the facts.
Those facts haven't changed for the last 2,000 years, and they aren't going to change in how many ever years are left before the Savior comes back to judge the living and the dead.
Between now and then, I'm going to be confident that while there are many things that change and many facts about which I am certain, this is sure: Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks I can count on You. May others be given faith in the facts of Scripture and be saved. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours, 
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: To whom did Luke write the book of Acts? Theophilus (His name literally means friend of God)__________________________________________________________________________________TODAY'S QUIZ: How many days after Easter did Jesus ascend into heaven?______________________________________________________________________________________CALENDAR:Tues- Quilters 9-2; Wilma Smith funeral 10am; Trustees meeting 7pmThurs- First day of school for Warren County RIII; Little Lambs Open House 8-11am
Sat- Golf Outing 7am-1pm; Bible Study 4; Worship 5; baptism of Lilly Nordwald 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Voter's meeting 9:45; Sunday school 9:45; worship 11
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS WEEK
Acolytes- 8:30- Sophie Tinnin 11- Jacob Winn
Altar guild- Set up- Ruth Walters; Clean Up-- Pam Linke
Greeters- 8:30- Rich and Peggy Talbert; 11- Tom and Pam Linke
Communion Assistants- Sat- Dave Winter; 8:30- Steve Robine; 11- Jim Rahn
Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone; 8:30- Steve Robine; 11am- Jim Rahn
8:30 Ushers- Don Hance, Rich Boeger, Don Weigle, Don Tate
Projectors- Sat- Perricone; 8:30- Terry McKenzie; 11- ????
Sat pianist- Tim Sherman; Sun- Melissa Pedersen
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NEWS:YOUTH POOL PARTY TODAY-- Monday, August 11 1-5pm at WALT AND BETTY SCHIRRS HOUSE--- If you ae in 6-12 grade, bring your towel, your flip flops, your sunscreen, you arm floaties, and even a friend if you life to our annual pool party! Please RSVP no later than August 10 by either calling the church office at 456-2888 or emailing Kelsey Overbeck at koverbeck@live.com
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GOLF OUTING THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 16!!!If you haven't signed up yet, please do so with the names of the people on your team to Alan Hofeldt by WEDNESDAY!!Event Coordinator636-456-3070_____________________________________________________________________________________________VOTERS MEETING THIS SUNDAY AT 9:45!!!VOTERS’ ASSEMBLY AGENDASunday, August 17, 20149:45 a.m.1. Call to order: Terry Russell2. Opening devotion: Pastor Klaustermeier3. Minutes of the May 18, 2014 Regular Meeting4. Staff ReportsA. Pastor’s report:Official Acts since the May 18, 2014 meeting:*Membership changes:• Received by Affirmation of Faith:• Dane& Jodi Baldwin 5/25/2014• Received by Adult Confirmation:• Mary Stemler 6/22/2014Received by Transfer:John & Erica McGowan & Patrick & Rileyfrom Zion Lutheran, Alexander, Arkansas 5/16/2014• Baptisms:• Infants: None• Children:• Katelyn& Isabelle Morris 8/10/2014Deaths:Ben Frick Died 6/8/2014 Funeral 6/12/2014Margaret Kohrs Died 6/12/2014 Funeral 6/19/201Wilma Smith Died 8/6/2014 Funeral 8/12/2014– Current membership (reflecting above changes)
Baptized----537CommunicaB. Music Director: Barb DreyerC. C. Church Office Administrator: Marilyn Foster
D. DCE Intern: Kelsey Overbeck5. Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees:A. Financial Secretary’s report: Richard Boeger (Report attached)B. Treasurer’s report: Donna Lindsey (Reports attached)Page 2 – Voters Agenda – August 17, 2914C. Board of Elders’ report: John Hachtel, ChairmanD. Board of Trustees’ report: Brett Nordwald, ChairmanE. Board of Christian Education report: Christine Winn, ChairpersonF. Board of Christian Outreach report:G. Board of Christian Stewardship report: Alan Hofledt, ChairmanH. Committee Reports:Little Lambs Committee Report: Barb Hargrove, PresidentThrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter report: Rich BoegerGood Shepherd report: Don LuebkeBuilding & Finance Committee report: Kent JacobsmeyerI. Other reports?Stephen Ministry - Joanne Hachtel6. Unfinished business:7. New business:A. Nominations for President and Vice President of the Missouri DistrictB. Volunteers to help with the Church picnic on Sunday, September 7 at Mim Dunn's houseC. Any other New Business?8. Next Regular Meeting: Sunday, November 16, 2014 - 9:45 a.m.9. Adjourn10. Closing Prayer: Pastor Klaustermeier______________________________________________________________________MEN'S RETREAT COMING UP Friday, Sept. 26- Sunday Sept. 28 AT MARK TWAIN LAKE!!Go to t3mensretreat.org for all the info you will need and to sign up!It would be wonderful to get a big group of guys from St. John's to go! I never miss it!______________________________________________________________LABOR DAY FLOAT TRIP-- Float trip will be through Ozark Outdoors. Meet at the river at 10am for a 4 mile float. Please contact Teresa Scott to sign up. She can be reached by email at tscott@usmo.com, cell phone or text at 636-359-5041 or at Schraer heating and air conditioning at 636-456-5041. When signing up, [please provide your best phone contact number and email address, if you have one. More info to follow.
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PRAYER REQUESTS: (If you have a prayer request please reply to this email or call me at 636-359-1061)For MIM DUNN, as she found yesterday through an MRI, that she her pelvis is fractured in five different place. She has been dealing with the pain after her fall for over a month.
For JONAS BORCHERT as he recovers from surgery to remove a lobe of his lung due to cancer.
For the community of FLORRISANT, as they deal with the civil unrest, rioting, and looting that went on there last evening and continues today.
For HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA, who are being persecuted to the point of death for their faith.
For NANCY SPINIOLAS as she recovers from a car accident and a fall.
For RICK SPINIOLAS as he continues to deal with pancreatic caner and the effects of the chemo on his body.
For the FAMILY OF WILMA SMITH as they have their visitation today and her funeral tomorrow.
For the ELCAN FAMILY, as they mourn the loss of Chris's 14 year old cousin.
For JOHN AND JOANNE HACHTEL, and their family, as they mourn the loss of John's brother Rudie.
For the BOEGER family as they mourn the loss of her uncle.
For ED KOHRS who is hospitalized from a minor fall last week, but is doing well.
For LYNN MESSER, a friend of Jo Fahrni, who went missing this past week, that she will be found safe and well very soon.
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